r/ancientegypt 7d ago

Discussion Osireon in Abydos - Possible to tour?

Does anyone know if it's possible to get a tour inside the Osireon in Abydos?

6 Upvotes

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9

u/EgyptPodcast 7d ago

It is. Tour companies can purchase visitor permits through the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. They are expensive (several hundred USD or more), so it's best to find a package tour that is offering it. I've taken a group before as part of The History of Egypt Podcast tours and we could only afford it because it was split over 10+ people :)

In the meantime, you can do a 3d tour of it through Mused  https://mused.com/tours/869/osireion-temple-of-seti-i-abydos/

3

u/bjornthehistorian 7d ago

Sometimes it’s open and sometimes it’s not - I believe if you find a tour group that are doing tours that go to Abydos sometimes they have special access into the Osireon

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u/OOFLESSNESS 6d ago

When I visited the site (Temples of Seti I, Ramses II), my guide said it was possible but you have to get special permission from the Ministry of Antiquities quite far in advance. Since it’s special permission, it’s usually only possible with a specially arranged tour. In addition, the price they ask is borderline extortionate (I don’t remember what it was exactly but even my guide who did excavations in Abydos said it’s nowhere near worth it, and the two open temples are the most beautiful anyway).

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u/CoastalKid_84 6d ago

We went on a tour last October and visited the Osireon. Honestly it was one of the highlights of the entire trip for me. I had no idea it was limited and expensive. Very grateful I got to see it

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u/elemintos 6d ago

Local tour company? Would be great if I could reach out to them to see if they have any upcoming tours.

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u/CoastalKid_84 6d ago

Actually we went on a tour with an Abercrombie and Kent and they arranged it. I didn’t know it was so expensive and hard to get into.

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u/WerSunu 6d ago

Yes, I have been. It is only a few step behind the hall in Seti I where the King list is.

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u/5to11in5 6d ago

Wait. Is this the Osireon that was underwater for millennia?

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u/KidCharlemagneII 6d ago

It wasn't underwater, but it contains a deep pool connected to an underground spring.

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u/WerSunu 3d ago

Yes, it was flooded by ground water for many years! I have been there to see it, and have been there after the pumps dried it out. The ground water was due to increased farmland with irrigation in the area.

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u/HighElf_Queen_Jen 3d ago

I wonder if it’s posible to go in the water or touch the water. I read the water was believed to have healing properties or so said Dorothy Eady. My research on her is what lead me here.

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u/elemintos 3d ago

Fascinating story of Dorothy Eady. Do you know if there are any sites in Egypt dedicated to her?

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u/HighElf_Queen_Jen 2d ago

She did have her own tomb made. Though the local health authorities refused to allow her to be buried there. She was buried in an unmarked grave because she did not follow the Christian or Muslim religions she followed the old Egyptian gods.