page_title: Shunet El Zebib
section_title: Description
hierarchical_section_title: Shunet El Zebib / Description
caption_attribution_description: English: Abydos /əˈbaɪdɒs/ is one of the oldest cities of ancient Egypt, and also of the eighth nome in Upper Egypt, of which it was the capital city. It is located about 11 kilometres (6.8 miles) west of the Nile at latitude 26° 10' N, near the modern Egyptian towns of el-'Araba el Madfuna and al-Balyana. The city was called Abdju in the ancient Egyptian language (ꜣbdw or AbDw as technically transcribed from hieroglyphs) meaning "the hill of the symbol or reliquary", a reference to a reliquary in which the sacred head of Osiris was preserved. This is a photo of a monument in Egypt identified by the ID EG-Abydos
context_page_description: Shunet El Zebib, alternatively named Shuneh and Middle Fort, is a large mudbrick structure located at Abydos in Upper Egypt. The edifice dates to the Second Dynasty, and was built by the ancient Egyptian king Khasekhemwy.
context_section_description: Shunet El Zebib is made of hardened mud bricks. It consists of two rectangular surrounding walls, interlaced like a shoe box. The outer wall measures 137 × 77 m and is c. 5 m thick and 12 m high. The inner wall (perimeter wall) measures 123 × 56 m and is c. 3 m thick and 8 m high. The facade of the outer wall was niched, imitating a royal palace facade. The enclosure provides two entrances, one at the eastern corner, one at the northern corner. These entrances once consisted of massive, stone-made door jambs, the material of the door wings is unknown.
  The inner area consists of a largely empty court; it is unknown if there were some substructures and/or larger buildings (such as a shrine or temple). In 1988, Australian egyptologist David O'Connor discovered a square, flat mount made of fine limestone rubble, covered with mud-bricks and forming four flat steps. It is located at the very midst of the court, its true purpose is still unknown. The only cultic building that can be archaeologically attested is a small chapel close to the south-eastern corner. Its ruins are also made of hardened mud bricks.
caption: North-eastern wall with well preserved niches.
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