Abydos has been a pilgrimage site since the Old Kingdom. Osiris came to Abydos in the fifth dynasty. Before that, we were the center for Khentiamentiu, "Foremost of the Westerners." In those days, the Old Kingdom to the First Intermediate Period, the city was south of Khentiamentiu's temple and cult buildings.

In the sixth dynasty, Teti (2345-2333) made a decree exempting the temple in Abydos from tax. Also in the sixth dynasty, Pepi I (2332-2283) ordered buildings in Abydos and married two women, both named Ankhenesmerire, who were daughters of Khui, a noble from our town. Khui's son Djau became vizier to Pepi I's son Merenre, and Pepi II.

Sources

Clayton, Peter A. (1994). Chronicle of the Pharaohs: The Reign-by-Reign Record of the Rulers and Dynasties of Ancient Egypt. New York: Thames and Hudson.

Grimal, Nicolas. (1992, 1994). A History of Ancient Egypt. New York: Barnes and Noble.

Manley, Bill. (1996). The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Egypt. NY: Penguin Putnam, Inc.

Shaw, Ian. (Ed.) (2000). The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. NY: Oxford University Press.

Go to Abydos

To the Eighth Nome