Seti I ruled Egypt ca. 1314-1304 BC and is well known for his building projects and military campaigns.
His mortuary temple at Abydos contains numerous architectural features - two vast courts, two hypostyle halls, a so called “butchery hall” and two Osiris halls, just to name a few. These contain numerous works of art.
It’s believed that Seti I’s son, Ramesses II, may have finished portions of the temple after his father died.
The temple is built mainly of limestone, although sandstone was used in some areas. The outer courts and there pylons are severely damaged, with little remaining of them.
Its first hypostyle hall was initially decorated with raised reliefs by Seti I. A raised relief is when the figure sticks out a bit from the walls. After Seti I’s death Ramesses II converted them to sunken reliefs and had them repainted.
The second hypostyle hall contains several bas reliefs - the figures are slightly above the surface while the background is completely flat. By Seti I’s death all the reliefs had been carved, although some had yet to be coloured.
Abydos is located about 9.5 miles from the west bank of the Nile River, and about 100 miles north of Luxor. The site of one of the most ancient cities in Upper Egypt, Abydos became one of the most sacred burial sites in all of Egypt due to its association with the Underworld. The oldest god associated with the area was Khentamentiu, whose name means “Foremost of the Westerners,” a reference to the belief that the deceased passed into the west with the setting sun, and the reason why burial grounds in Egypt were located on the western side of the Nile. When the god Osiris came into prominence, the newer deity assumed Khentamentiu as one of his own names, thus absorbing the older religion.
