Sacred city, one of the most important archaeological sites of ancient Egypt. It was an area of royal cenotaphs of the first two dynasties and later a pilgrimage centre for the worship of
Osiris. The pharaohs, including
Thutmose III and
Ramses III, embellished the temple to Osiris, and some pharaohs had
cenotaphs at Abydos. The temple of Seti I, one of the most beautiful, has helped decode Egyptian history: in a long gallery is a relief, the so-called Abydos list of kings, showing Seti and his son Ramses making offerings to the cartouches of 76 dead predecessors.
For more information on Abydos, visit Britannica.com.