DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4995#0049
30 LECTURE ON EGYPT.
lianeh, opposite the ruins of Abyclus, six miles from the
river. This splendid temple is one of the most im-
portant and interesting on the Nile. It was here that
the Egyptian god Osiris was especially worshipped, and
his body is supposed to be buried in one of the temples.
This circumstance led to Abydus being for many cen-
turies a much coveted place of burial for distinguished
Egyptians, who believed that contiguity to Osiris in
the position of their tombs, would facilitate their re-
ception into heaven. Abydus has richly rewarded
Marietta Bey's explorations. Bare antiquities of great
chronological value have been discovered there, and
amongst them the famous stone tablet enumerating
sixty-five Pharaohs, from Menes to Sethi. Sethi was
the father of Barneses the Great, one the founder, and
the other the finisher, of the temple.
Denderah. The temple of Denderah, less ancient than Abydus,
was built in the time of the Ptolemies and Ccesars when
the art of sculpture had long been on the decline. As
contrasted with the beautiful bas-reliefs on the walls
of the tomb of Ti, at Sakkara, or in the Temple
of Abydus the hieroglyphics appear very imperfectly
executed. The architecture is, however, imposing,
although unfortunately many of the ornaments and
hieroglyphics have been effaced by the deposits of mud
made by the ' mason' bee, which threaten finally to
cover the whole.
Thebes. A few hours bring us from Denderah to Thebes, the
lianeh, opposite the ruins of Abyclus, six miles from the
river. This splendid temple is one of the most im-
portant and interesting on the Nile. It was here that
the Egyptian god Osiris was especially worshipped, and
his body is supposed to be buried in one of the temples.
This circumstance led to Abydus being for many cen-
turies a much coveted place of burial for distinguished
Egyptians, who believed that contiguity to Osiris in
the position of their tombs, would facilitate their re-
ception into heaven. Abydus has richly rewarded
Marietta Bey's explorations. Bare antiquities of great
chronological value have been discovered there, and
amongst them the famous stone tablet enumerating
sixty-five Pharaohs, from Menes to Sethi. Sethi was
the father of Barneses the Great, one the founder, and
the other the finisher, of the temple.
Denderah. The temple of Denderah, less ancient than Abydus,
was built in the time of the Ptolemies and Ccesars when
the art of sculpture had long been on the decline. As
contrasted with the beautiful bas-reliefs on the walls
of the tomb of Ti, at Sakkara, or in the Temple
of Abydus the hieroglyphics appear very imperfectly
executed. The architecture is, however, imposing,
although unfortunately many of the ornaments and
hieroglyphics have been effaced by the deposits of mud
made by the ' mason' bee, which threaten finally to
cover the whole.
Thebes. A few hours bring us from Denderah to Thebes, the