A three hour car ride north along the Nile found us first in Dendara and then on to Abydos through torturous town streets, dodging camels and donkeys loaded with sugar cane! At Dendara was the iconic and visually intact Temple of Hathor with a great stone roof and columns, underground crypts and twisting stairways all carved with hieroglyphs entered around the goddess Hathor (goddess of sensual pleasures!). She was depicted also as the wife of god Horus (the “son” of Osiris and Isis).

Abydos was the centre of the cult of Osiris, and was used as a necropolis for more than 4000 years up until AD600. It is the site of the Temple of Seti I which is one of the most complete temples in Egypt.

As usual there are just a few sampler pics…lots more for future posting when we get home!

Abydos Market

Abydos relief

Abydos Temple of Seti I

Abydos Wall of all Kings (Cartouches)

Abydos Osireion

Abydos. Osiris

Abydos Seti I with goddess Isis

Abydos. Seti I

Abydos Solar Barque

Dendara

Dendara Chariot wheel

Dendara Coptic Basilica

Dendara Temple of Hathor

Dendara Temple of Hathor

Dendara Temple of Hathor Solar Barque

Dendara Sacred Pool

Dendara Hathor temple entrance

Dendara Hathor Temple

Dendara Hathor Temple ceiling

Dendara Temple of Hather

Dendara Temple of Hathor

On road to Abydos