Abydos

Abydos (əbĪˈdəs) [key], ancient city of Egypt, c.50 mi (80 km) NW of Thebes, near modern El Balyana. Associated in religion with Osiris, Abydos became the most venerated place in Egypt. It was the favorite burial place for the kings of the earliest dynasties, and later kings such as Seti I and Ramses II continued to build temples and sanctuaries there. Remains date from the I to the XXVI dynasty (3100–500 B.C.), and include large mud-brick-walled sanctuaries that predate the pyramids. A famous list of kings, found on the wall of the temple built by Seti I, has been valuable in determining the order of succession among the Egyptian kings from Menes to Seti.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.