ABU SIMBEL

Situated in the desert about 286km south of Aswan overlooking Lake Nasser, stand the two temples of Abu Simbel.
These temples were originally hewn out of a solid cliff in the 13th century BC in the reign of Ramses 11 when Egyptian control in Nubia was possibly at its highest. Although dedicated to the patron deities of Egypt’s great cities- Amun of Thebes, Ptah of Memphis and Ra-Harakhty of Heliopolis, The Great Temple was built to honour Ramses 11 and the smaller, to honour his favourite wife Nefertiti and the goddess of love, Hathor.

Abu Simbel is not only one of the most beautiful temples in Egypt –it is without doubt the most unusual and majestic. However, on the completion of the Aswan Dam and Lake Nasser, the survival of Abu Simbel and 14 other Nubian temples came under threat. A huge rescue operation by UNESCO was undertaken and these two temples were meticulously cut and relocated in an artificial cliff 210m back from and 65 m above their original position.

The relocation project itself aroused much admiration especially as the temples were very precise. The sun shone through the large temple into the Sanctuary on the 21st of February and the 21st of October when they were originally built and now the sun still shines twice a year only on the 22nd of February and October-a miraculous achievement.