The ancient city of Abydos in Upper Egypt was central in worshipping the god Osiris. It's made of tombs and temples and continued until Greek times.
Abydos was an ancient Egyptian city that contained major and minor burials. It's located in Upper Egypt, about six miles west of the Nile River. Archaeologists have uncovered man mortuary structures and burials to date and somewhat recently, in 2005, found collections of beer and wine jugs with hieroglyphs that associate them with the first dynastic king. Mortuary structures range from the pre-dynastic period around 4,000 BCE, all the way up until around AD 640, which means Abydos is a city with a long history of use. During the Middle Kingdom, it became known as the city where Osiris, the god who oversees the dead, was buried. Osiris's tomb was situated at the tomb of Dier, the king of the first dynasty.
This fact turned the city into a religious center as well as a desired place to be buried. Due to the association with Osiris, even those people who couldn't afford to pay for burial space could erect a plaque or monument to honor the deceased. Some of those who did manage to purchase a cheap grave might end up in a 'pit grave', little more than a hole in the ground, but it wouldn't have mattered, because their remains would be on hallowed ground.
Among the many monuments is the temple of Seti I. This temple is especially noteworthy due to its location. During construction, the architects are thought to have had to alter their original design because they accidentally uncovered the site of Osiris's and Dier's tomb.
This gave the designers, and probably Seti I, the idea to create a larger and more elaborate temple complex to honor Osiris. In addition to the actual temple, there is a huge list known as the Table of Abydos that lists all of the dynastic pharaohs by their cartouche. The king to head off the first dynasty was Narmer. Not too much is known about Narmer, but an inscribed palette belonging to him was found, giving some insight into the early Egyptians.
Throughout its habitation, Abydos had been improved and added on to, both to honor the dead and as a symbol of the current king's generosity and adoration to the god. In addition to burials and mortuary temples, Abydos was the site of many festivals and re-enactments of the death of Osiris. The Osiris cult persisted throughout the life of Abydos, but when the Greeks took over, Abydos began its downfall. Structures were not maintained and it was eventually abandoned.
Over all, there were around ten temples constructed, with associated buildings, perhaps for offerings or ceremonies. Hearths have been found to contain renditions of offerings created out of pottery. It's possible that these 'offerings' were substituted for real ones either to preserve resources or for symbolic reasons. In ancient Egypt, it was believed that even drawings or statues could come to life through magic.
Other offerings of carvings and small figures show the skill and artistry of the people during the time when Abydos was functioning. Each succeeding pharaoh added his own touch to the city. Some built chambers or monuments, others made elaborate colonnaded gateways and altars. During the most artistic and well known dynasties, the 18th, where the likes of Akenaten, Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Hatshepsut and Thutmose III lived, ruled and died, the temples became much larger. Thutmose III had a 130 foot x 200 foot temple built with a pathway leading to a cemetery beyond his temple. He also added a granite gate. The largest of the temples is the Osireion, the one made by Seti I. It was around 550 feet long which included courtyards that cannot be seen any longer. On the walls of the temple of Ramesses II, adjoining the Osireion complex, are depictions of historical scenes, including the battle of Kadesh. With such a lengthy history, it's no wonder that Abydos was an important find to archaeologists, not to mention anyone interested in the lives of the Egyptians.
