Abaton - Tomb of Wesir

The weekly procession from the Temple of Aset at Philae to the Tomb of Wesir at Bigeh.

As there is only a temple building on the Island of Bigeh, and no one but the gods may live there, except for the occasional iwyt (hut), there is a District for Living placed on the eastern shore of the main land.

Bigeh (Bigge, Bigga) is a larger island, only a hundred meters away from Philae. Here the source of the Nile, manifested as the god Hapy, was thought to live in a cave, the entrance being protected by a sacred serpent. The rise and fall of the waters of the Nile thus were easliy connected to the rebirth of Osiris.

A sanctuary dedicated to Osiris was erected here, facing west, and a great staircase led up to the terrace on which it was situated. A pylon built by Augustus led into the temple. Only the doorway is preserved today. Behind this doorway was a beautiful pronaos built by Ptolemy XII, with probably two rows of columns. Of the rest of the temple nothing remains, but a granite altar of Ptolemy III has been found, as well as a colossal seated statue of Amenhotep II and a statue of Thutmose III, pointing at a possible older temple.

Access to the island was generally not allowed; another name for it was "Abaton", meaning "inaccessible" or "Pure Mound". Those who obtained permission to enter the island had to speak in whispers, if at all. According to legend, one of the 16 mythical tombs of Wesir (Osiris) was situated here and the statue of Isis travelled in procession to Bigeh, accompanied by priests, every tenth day (once a week by the ancient Egyptian calendar) and on festival days, by boat or bark the short distance across from Philae island to make offerings and to be present at ceremonies at the tomb of her husband Osiris.