Damaged Egyptian "Mecca" To Be Restored

 I know it doesn’t make sense that all of the pharaohs would be buried in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor. There were Egyptian Kings throughout Egypt, not just in the central area. Nonetheless, today I was surprised to see this National Geographic article on the restoration of burial sites in Abydos, Egypt.

Millions of Egyptians crossed the desert surrounding Abydos from 664 B.C. to A.D. 395 to pay homage to the god of the dead, Osiris. Many of Egypt’s earliest pharaohs were buried at the site.

Damaged Egyptian “Mecca” To Be Restored

The article goes on to say that many of the temples and tombs in the Abydos area contain the earliest known hieroglyphic writing. Evidently farms and roads are encroaching upon the 3.1 mile- (5 kilometer) wide area.

Evidently most of the damage to the area occurred prior to the 1970s when people built homes in the ruin area. For example, one house contains the stump of a pillar from the temple of Ramses I. During the 1970s, the Egyptian government relocated people who had moved into the ruin area and compensated them.

However, the archeological zone is only now about to undergo restoration. This is a very important area because it contains the history of the earliest pharaohs.

This is, therefore, the area that must contain the earliest copies of what is popularly called The Book of the Dead. It is a very valuable area! I am glad it is being restored. Who knows what mysteries of human origins may be solved there.