Seti I

Menmaatre Seti I (or Sethos I as in Greek) was a Pharaoh of the New Kingdom Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt, the son of Ramses I and Queen Sitre, and the father of Ramses II.

As with all dates in Ancient Egypt, the actual dates of his reign are unclear, and various historians claim different dates, with 1294 BC – 1279 BC and 1290 BC to 1279 BC being the most commonly used by scholars today.

After the enormous social upheavals generated by Akhenaten's religious reform, Horemheb, Ramses Iand Seti I's main priority was to re-establish order in the kingdom and to reaffirm Egypt's sovereignty over Canaan and Syria, which had been compromised by the increasing external pressures from the Hittite state.

travel egypt tours_Sethi I from Abydos Temple

Seti, with energy and determination, confronted the Hittites several times in battle. Without succeeding in destroying the Hittites as a potential danger to Egypt, he reconquered most of the disputed territories for Egypt and generally concluded his military campaigns with victories.

The memory of Seti I's military successes was recorded in some large scenes placed on the front of the temple o fAmun, situated in Karnak.

A funerary temple for Seti was constructed in what is now known as Qurna (Mortuary Temple of Seti I), on the west bank of the Nile at Thebes while a magnificent temple made of white marble at Abydos featuring exquisite relief scenes was started by Seti, and later completed by his son.

His capital was at Memphis. He was considered a great king by his peers, but his fame has been overshadowed since ancient times by that of his son, Ramses II.

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