Abydos
Abydos is one of the most ancient cities of Upper Egypt, about 11
km (6 miles) west of the Nile. The Egyptian name was Abdju, "the
hill of the symbol or reliquary," in which the sacred head of Osiris
was preserved. The Greeks named it Abydos, like the city on the
Hellespont; the modern Arabic name is el-'Araba el Madfuna.
Considered one of the most important archaeological sites of ancient Egypt, the sacred city was the site of many ancient temples, including a royal necropolis where early pharaohs were entombed. Abydos became notable for the Great Temple built by Seti I, which contains a tunnel displaying a chronological list showing cartouche names of every dynastic pharaoh of Egypt from the first, Narmer/Menes, until the pharaohs of the last dynasty.
