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| Eighth Nome | Abydos |
Welcome by the Mayor of AbydosGreetings! I am the haty-' or mayor of Abydos. I welcome you to my town of over 1000 people. We are proud of the organized nature of our streets and buildings. I hope you enjoyed your travels through villages and land dotted with palm trees. We are 150 km or 94 miles north of Wast (Thebes). Abydos is justly known as the cult center of Osiris and as his burial place. We are also famous for our temples and our tombs. During your stay here, you should visit the Temple of Seti I and the Osireion, and the Temple of Senwosret III. If you have more time, we also have temples from Tuthmosis III, Rameses II, Ahmose, and Ahmose-Nefertari. The tombs of our most famous ancestors from the distant past are here, as well as tombs or cenotaphs for Senwosret III and Ahmose. Those who like pyramids should visit Ahmose's Pyramid. You might wonder what a mayor does. I have religious and administrative duties and am in contact with the Royal court. I live and work at my house, right beside the temple of Senwosret III. Come visit! It is 52 by 80 meters. The front is a beautiful 14-columned hall running the width of the house. Behind it are rooms, corridors and courtyards for official business. In the center is my residential area, where I often have a game of Hounds and Jackals going. Behind this is the granary of the town, where we pay many of the laborers in wheat. You'll notice we use the djed pillar in our badges. The pillar and crossbars and a symbol of Osiris and stability. Come back for the Djed Pillar Festival, which takes place on the first day of Shemu (the harvest season). The priest raises the pillar and we worship. Then there are mock battles between good and evil.Sources"Ancient Egyptian Mayor’s House Discovered at Abydos, Egypt.” UPM Expeditions, Research, and Discoveries. University of Pennsylvania Museum of Art. http://www.museum.upenn.edu/new/research/Exp_Rese_Disc/AfricaEgypt/senwosret.shtml B.B. (1999, August 28). “Hey, Pharaoh, make way for the mayor,” Science News. v156, no. 9, p. 139. Bunson, Margaret. (1991). "djed," "Osiris." A Dictionary of Ancient Egypt. New York: Oxford University Press. “First Ever Ancient Egyptian Mayor’s House is Identified At Abydos in Egypt.” (1999, Summer). UPM Expeditions, Research, and Discoveries. University of Pennsylvania Museum of Art. http://www.museum.upenn.edu/new/research/Exp_Rese_Disc/AfricaEgypt/MayorsHouse.shtml Fodor. (1999). Fodor’s Egypt: The Complete Guide to Cairo, the Ancient Wonders, the Red Sea, Sinai and Desert Oases. New York: Fodor’s Tavel Publications, Inc. Parsons, Marie. "Abydos." Tour Egypt Feature. Available at http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/abydos.htm “Per-Ankh.” (1998-2005). http://www.philae.nu/PerAnkh/Priestduties.htmlGo to Abydos To the Eighth Nome
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