The Mortuary Temple of Seti I is the memorial temple of the New Kingdom Pharaoh Seti I. The edifice is located in the Theban Necropolis in Upper Egypt, across the River Nile from the modern city of Luxor (Thebes), near the town of Qurna. Though Seti's Abydos Temple is more famous.
The temple seems to have been constructed toward the end of the reign of Seti, and may have been completed by his son Ramesses the Great after his death. One of the chambers contains a shrine dedicated to Seti's father Ramesses I. The ruler reigned a little under two years, and did not construct a mortuary temple for himself. The entire court and any pylons associated with the site are now in ruins, and much of the eastern part of the complex is buried under the modern town of Qurna.
The temple complex was originally enclosed by a wall 124 meters wide and 162 meters long. The wall was 3.20 meters thick and made of Nile mud bricks and was probably 10.50 meters high. It was interrupted by several towers . The entrance to the temple was from the east through the first large pylon.
circa 1280 BCE
Sun Cult Court
The court of the solar cult contains an altar and was always open to the sky. Located in the northern part of the temple, it was dedicated to Rameses II, Re-Harakhte. The inscriptions on the walls are dominated by sacrificial rituals and temple transactions. There are nine niches in the walls where statues of kings used to be placed. In the middle of the courtyard there is only the remnant of a sacrificial altar.
circa 1280 BCE
Chapel of the Royal Cult
It is located at the southern end of the main portico. Immediately after the entrance there's a small hall with two columns, which leads to three sanctuaries. The wall depictions of the pillared room show the gods Amun, Khons, and Mut with the kneeling Seti I on the right. In the central sanctuary, Seti I is shown anointing the statue of his father. In the other rooms you can see Ramses I and Seti I accepting offerings from Ramses II.
circa 1280 BCE
Royal Palace
The royal palace was originally located to the left behind the first pylon. Through a portico one got through two large entrances into a pillared hall and from here into the throne room. There was a window from which the king attended the festival. Today there are only a few remains of the palace wall.
