Ramesses II Cenotaph Temple at Abydos
19th Dynasty, c.1279-1213 BCE
Christiana Hench
Introduction
(1) Southeast view of temple exterior from the Forecourt to the Cortico.
Ramesses at Abydos, after construction on his father’s, Seti I, temple was completed in the 19th Dynasty. Built nearby his father’s temple, Ramesses II Temple is made of beautiful pink and black granite with painted limestone walls. The temple is dedicated primarily to Osiris, along with Sety I as the earthy form of Osiris, Isis, and Horus. The site, mainly in ruins, was first excavated by W.J. Bankes who found a kings list in the temple. Further excavations were done by Auguste Mariette who excavated the site in 1869 and completed the site report in 1880. Flinders Petrie continued excavations on the site in 1902-1903 referring to the temple as “The Portal of Ramesses II.” The most detailed report of the site to this day was done by David O’Connor in 1967 where a full, correct floor plan was made, along with detailed descriptions of the walls images and text. Presently, most projects at the site are working on conservation of the sites decrepit ruins.
(2) Picture of the Portico from the Second Pylon.
Geographical Setting
(3) Picture of the Heb Sed Chapel taken from the Forecourt that borders the village.
Abydos is in upper Egypt about three-hundred miles south of Cairo and seven miles west of the Nile river in the eighth nome. The site of Ramesses II temple is northwest of Seti I temple embedded in modern day Qesm Al Wahat Al Khargah in New Valley Governorate.
(4) Map of Surrounding sites at Abydos
Site Description
(5) Ramesses II Temple at Abydos Layout
The first pylon and Forecourt that were once the entrance to the site are no longer standing, but the evidence remaining shows there were once red-granite statues and red granite door frames. In the Forecourt there are also remains of stairs leading to a Heb-Seb Chapel off the Southeast wall of the court.
The entrance used by tourists today is the second pylon. There is a badly damaged facing stone that bears a few figures and inscriptions as well as two flagstaff grooves on either side of the pylon. The Open Court through the second pylon contains eighteen sandstone Osiride statues of Ramses along the Southeast , northeast, and northwest walls.The southeast wall contains carvings of a chariot; offerings; sacrificial animals; Egyptian, Asiatic,and Libyan soldiers; priest and officials. There are also inscriptions on the lower portion of the wall from later periods. Opposite that on the northwest wall is a depiction of an offering procession of crowds of people, animals, etc. moving towards the southwest portico. The upper portion of this wall also shows evidence of speeches made by Ramses II. On the southwest wall across from the second pylon there are scenes of offering bearers with bulls, oryxes, gazelles, a chariot, courtiers, soldiers, and foreigners as well as three stairways leading to an elevated portico.
The portico contains sixteen pillars in total facing the Open court; a row of eight squared, and eight Osiride columns which once supported a roof.The southeast and northwest walls contain images of Nubian prisoners of war and Asiatic captives. The southwest wall of the portico is broken up by an entrance to the First Octostyle Court as well as two doorways on either side of the entrance leading to shrine chambers. The height of the temples original walls can be estimated by the stone walls between these doorways bearing images of Ramesses II making offerings. Above those images at the top of the damaged walls are also images presumed to be of Ramesses II feet. By using the full images of Ramesses II below, the height has been estimated to over eight meters (twenty-four feet). The four shrine chambers were dedicated to different deities. The chamber on the far southeast side of the back wall was dedicated primarily to Seti I with Osiris, Hathor, and Ramesses II and also contained part of a kings list which is now in the British Museum, as well as Seti I barque (royal boat). The chamber right of that contains Rameses II and Seti I with Osiris and Horus. The far northwest chamber is dedicated to Osiris, Isis, and Horus, and to the left of that is a chamber dedicated to Ramses II with Osiris, Thoth, and Horus, with Rameses barque.
(6) Picture of the Open Court taken from the south side of the Portico.
Through the entrance on the center of the southwest wall of the portico is the First Ocostyle Court bordered with black granite door frames. The court contains eight sandstone pillars to support the roof that was once there. The images on the walls of the court show evidence that the temple began being built during the reign of Seti I and was completed during Ramesses II reign. Off the west corner of the court is a shrine bearing images of Ramesses II making offerings to Osiris, Isis, and Horus. Opposite that off the south corner is a stairway that used to lead to the roof.
Southwest of the First Octostyle court is the entrance to the Second Octostyle Court that also contains eight supporting pillars. Off the Second Octostyle Court are nine rooms. Three rooms off the southeast wall are dedicated to Osiris, Horus, Amen and Amenti, Isis, Ptah, Sekhet, and Khem. Opposite those rooms off the northwest wall the three rooms are dedicated to Thoth, Osiris, Horus, Haket, Isis, Harsaiset, and Aperu.Through the southwest rooms on either side of the court are two additional rooms with nine decorated niches, and two pillars in each. The three rooms off the southwest wall of the court are three cult shrines. The shrine on the far left was dedicated to Horus, the shrine to the far right to Isis, and the center shrine was dedicated to Osiris and is often referred to as the “Alabaster Shrine,” although it is made from white limestone. The Alabaster Shrine once held a statue of five figures of which only two have been officially identified, Osiris, and Horus.
Excavations and Results
In 1837 the Kings List from the left shrine chamber off the Portico was brought to the British Museum. The list was excavated by W.J. Bankes who was the first to suggest that the cartouches, such as the ones on the kings list, were kings names. The kings list from the Temple of Ramesses II at Abydos is incomplete but the names present highly resembe those on the kings list found at Seti I temple.
Auguste Mariette conducted the first excavation and clearance of the site in 1869. A report was published in 1880 where the site was correctly dated to the 19th Dynasty, c. 1279-1213 BCE. A brief description of the site was included with a small plan of the site that was incorrect, along with a few translations of the temples text.
Flinders Petrie conducted a small scale clearance in 1902-1903. He created a better plan of the site, though it was still false. He named the temple the “Portal of Ramesses II,” after coming to the conclusion that the site was a ceremonial gateway to the cemetery.
A more detailed excavation and larger clearance of the site was conducted by David O’Connor during the Pennsylvania-Yale Expedition in 1967. This expedition mapped a correct, detailed plan of the temple. The inscriptions remaining were translated more thoroughly, and the remains statues were further identified. He concluded that the site was a temple, rather than a ceremonial gateway. The idea of stone robbers using the temple ruins for further construction was also developed at this time.
Recently New York University started a conservation project at the site in 2008-2011. Directed by Sameh Iskander and Ogden Goelet, they have completed an architectural and photographic record of the site. Work on the epigraphic record is also being done. Their main focus of the project is to form a condition report of the site and map damages in order to form a conservation plan.
Conclusion
Ramesses II Temple at Abydos contains beautiful architecture, images, and texts although the site is severely damaged. With conservation and further excavation the site could reveal much more information, especially pertaining to the cult of Osiris. The temple in itself shows how prominent Osiris was to the present and past kings. The way in which political scenes, such as war and captives, are displayed with religious scenes illustrates the importance of religion in all parts of life. The purpose of many of the rooms have yet to be discovered and are thought to be storage rooms or additional rooms of worship. There is very little record of artifacts in the temple other than a few statues that are in poor shape, which hinders the research at the site. The partial kings list is one of the most prominent finding of the site. It not only serves to document prior kings, but the similarities in the list to Seti I list may reveal the coherence of Seti I and Ramesses II reign and their relationship. The extreme damage of the site inferred to be the result of stone robbers using the material for other sites also raises questions. It is still not known when or why the site was destroyed or by whom, but some evidence suggests that it was demolished prior to Napoleon’s invasion. With further research on this site and other sites of Ramesses II some of these questions may be answered, but due to the current condition of the site it is hard to come to complete conclusions.
References
Written
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Images
1. Scholz, M. (Photographer). Temple Ramses II (Abydos) [Web Photo]. Retrieved from https://static.panoramio.com.storage.googleapis.com/photos/large/4959346.jpg
2. Scholz, M. (Photographer). Temple Ramses II (Abydos) [Web Photo]. Retrieved from https://static.panoramio.com.storage.googleapis.com/photos/large/4959481.jpg
3. Scholz, M. (Photographer). Temple Ramses II (Abydos) [Web Photo]. Retrieved from https://static.panoramio.com.storage.googleapis.com/photos/large/4959406.jpg
4. Abydos- Necropolis Map [Web Graphic]. Retrieved from http://www.planetware.com/i/map/EGY/abydos-necropolis-map.jpg
5. (2011, April 20). File:Plan Abydos Temple Ramses II Complete.png [Web Graphic]. Retrieved from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Plan_Abydos_Temple_Ramses_II_Complete.png
6. Scholz, M. (Photographer). Temple Ramses II (Abydos) [Web Photo]. Retrieved from https://static.panoramio.com.storage.googleapis.com/photos/large/4959569.jpg