Abu Simbel: Exploring the Great Temple of Ramesses II in Aswan

Abu Simbel Temples are undisputedly one of the world’s most breathtaking monuments and Egypt’s most visited tourist site. They are one of the oldest places of tourism in Egypt. It is located on the western side of Lake Nasser; about 230 km southwest of Aswan near the borders of Sudan. It dates back to the era of King Ramsses II, who built it in 1250 BC. These gorgeous twin temples were built to serve as a lasting monument to the king and his queen Nefertari. It commemorates his victory at the Battle of Kadesh.

The Abu Simbel Temples were first discovered in 1813 by the Swiss explorer John Lewis Burckhardt; after they had long been forgotten; and the sands of the desert covered all the tops of the heads of the huge statues in front of their entrances. Burckhardt talked about his discovery with Italian explorer Giovanni Belzoni. Belzoni succeeded in 1817 in his attempt to enter the complex.

Abu Simbel temples are divided into two main large temples carved in the rock:

The Great Temple of Ramsses II

The Great Temple of Ramsses II is dedicated to the sun gods Amon-Re, Ptah, and Re-Horakhte; and the Great King Ramesses himself. It is considered the grandest and one of the most beautiful temples in Egypt. The 4 seated colossi in front of the temple represent Ramsses II seated on a throne wearing the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt. The inner part of the temple has rooms, dedicated to Ramsses himself and the important members of his family. Its structure is complex and unique.

The Small Temple of Queen Nefertari

The temple of Hathor and Nefertari was built about one hundred meters northeast of the temple of Ramsses II. It is dedicated to the goddess Hathor and Ramesses II’s favorite wife, Nefertari, the most beloved wife of Ramesses. This was the second time in ancient Egyptian history that a temple was dedicated to a queen. For the first time, Akhenaten dedicated a temple to his great royal wife, Nefertiti. At its entrance, there are six huge statues; four of them are of Ramsses II and two of his wife Nefertari; each statue is more than two meters high. This temple was one of the greatest temples in ancient Egypt. It is characterized by the magnitude of statues and the splendor of its walls decorated with many wonderful inscriptions.

Alignment of the Sun with the Temple of Ramsses II, Abu Simbel

The most remarkable feature of the Abu Simbel temple is that the construction is placed in a way that twice a year the morning sun rays shine through the length of the inner temple cave. It illuminates the statues of the four gods seated at the end of the cave. This event takes place once on February 22 on the anniversary of Ramses II’s accession to the throne. And the second time on his birthday, October 22. People from around the world gather early in the morning at Abu Simbel Temples to celebrate the ancient Egyptians and witness one of the most important Egyptian phenomena.

The Relocation of the Abu Simbel Temples

An international donations campaign began to save the monuments that were under threat from the rising of the water of the Nile, which was caused by the construction of the Aswan High Dam in 1959. The Egyptian government, with the support of UNESCO, launched a global appeal to help save these huge monuments. The rescuing mission of Abu Simbel temples was started in 1964 by the most skilled archeologists and engineers under the UNESCO banner. It cost about 40$ million.

The Abu Simbel Temples were dismantled and successfully relocated in 1968 to a new location 65 meters above and 200 meters back from the river. Moving the temples was not a job; it was massive work. This work included cutting the temples into pieces between 3 to 20 tons in weight. And reassembling them precisely as they were at the new site. It took almost five years to finish the relocation. It was one of the greatest challenges of archaeological engineering in history.

Also: You can see our tours to Abu Simbel and Aswan from Here