Seti established the Valley of the Queens and his mother was the first person to be buried there yet despite his importance his temple is another that is often missed by tourists.
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You enter the temple from the north east corner just behind where the first pylon stood but is alas no more. As you look to the right you look beyond the second pylon, which like the first pylon is a distant memory but it does give you a clear view of the temple proper which is said to be the best preserved mortuary temple in Thebes.
It is really excellent that so many of the ceilings remain in place so that once inside it gives you a real feel of what a temple was like. |
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These two Stelae and two others opposite commemorate visits to this temple by Seti I and Ramses II.
Sections of the temple were completed by Ramses II after the death of his father, Seti I. |
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This picture looks across from the south east corner to the temple proper. In this area was the royal palace or temple palace as it is sometimes known. Now there are just remains but it doesn't take much imagination to picture it's shape.
On special occasions and festivals Seti I would stand on a balcony of the temple palace as this first courtyard would be opened to the masses. |
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There were originally ten columns (nine remain) each of which represents bundles of papyrus. We are entering by the main entrance but there are two other entrances one on the right (out of picture) that leads to the sun court and the other can be seen on the left of this picture which leads to the royal rooms also known as the Ramses I suite complete with its own slaughterhouse. |
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Once through the main entrance you reach the Hypostyle Hall which has various rooms leading from it and from where you can reach all other parts of the temple.
If you walk straight through you reach the Sanctuary of Amen-Ra (which you can see in the picture after next) or if you turn to the left you reach the Royal Rooms (next picture). |
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The Royal Rooms are quite impressive. They are also known as the Ramses I suite as Seti I made three chapels off the room pictured here and dedicated them to Ramses I as his reign was so short he didn't have time to make any temple.
Ramses I (who was pharaoh for just 2 years between 1292 and 1290 bc) was the father of Seti I and in turn the son of Seti I took the royal name Ramses II. |
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Just behind the Hypostyle Hall is the Sanctuary of Amen-Ra. The reliefs on all the walls in this area are quite beautiful and show scenes of the Festival of the Valley which started at Karnak Temple and is dedicated to the god Amun. |
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From the wall that surrounds the temple you can clearly see layout of the magazines (store rooms) that originally took up the entire northern side of the temple.
The original mud brick foundations were all that remained of the magazines so modern mud bricks of a different size were placed on top in order to give a clearer view of the layout. |
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