190: Omm Sety, Guardian of Abydos

Dorothy Eady, Bulbul Abd el-Meguid, Omm Sety… A woman of three names, multiple lives, and a lifelong devotion to Egyptology. From the 1950s to 1981, Omm Sety was a resident of Abydos, and a regular worshipper at the great Temple of Sety I. Her life is a tale of dedication, spiritual connection, and fascination with the ancient past. In this episode, we explore Omm Sety’s life and try to “shine a spotlight” on her work, personality, and beliefs…

Documentaries about Omm Sety (YouTube):

• BBC Interview with Omm Sety at Abydos: https://youtu.be/2fdNJ2L9_zw?t=1.
• Omm Sety explains the Abydos Temple: https://youtu.be/QXmnus48jdI?t=83.
• Recollections of Omm Sety by those who knew her (Arabic, with subtitles): https://youtu.be/ZrFA-kDHtzg?t=281.
• Egypt – Quest for Eternity, with section on Omm Sety (filmed just prior to her death): https://youtu.be/VHXsv9ZLlYo?t=737.

Episode details:

• Jonathan Cott, The Search for Omm Sety at Archive.org.
• Omm Sety and Hanny el Zeini, Abydos: Holy City of Ancient Egypt at Archive.org.
• Date: 1904—1981 CE.
• Places: Blackheath; Cairo; Abydos.
• Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
• Music: Ancient Lyric.
• Interludes: Luke Chaos and Hathor Systrum.

Select Bibliography:

J. Cott, The Search for Omm Sety: A Story of Eternal Love (1987).

E. B. Ghazzouli, ‘The Palace and Magazines Attached to the Temple of Sety I at Abydos and the Facade of this Temple’, Annales du Services des Antiquités de l’Egypte 58 (1964), 99—186.

B. S. Lesko, ‘Omm Sety, 1904—1981,’ in M. S. Joukowsky and B. S. Lesko (eds), Breaking Ground: Women in Old World Archaeology.

O. Sety and H. El-Zeini, Abydos: Holy City of Ancient Egypt (1981).

J. Thompson, Wonderful Things, A History of Egyptology, III: From 1914 to the Twenty-First Century (2018).

J. Uglow et al. (eds), ‘Eady, Dorothy (1904-1981)’, The Palgrave MacMillan Dictionary of Women’s Biography (1982).

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