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).

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices