Abu Simbel

Abu Simbel is an incredible archaeological site which is not be missed. This popular attraction features two massive temples carved directly into the mountainside by the great Pharaoh Ramesses II in the 13th century B.C. one for himself and one for his favourite wife and queen, Nefertari.

The temples are huge structures and the larger of the two took twenty years to build and features four 20 foot high statues of Ramesses II with smaller statues of his mother, wife and children at his feet. There are rows of baboons flanking the entrance and a relief which features Ramesses paying tribute to the falcon headed god Re-Harakhte. In fact the temple is dedicated to the four universal gods Ptah, Re-Harakhte, Amun-Re and Ramesses himself. Inside the Great Hall is 57 feet high and 52 feet wide and there are stunning painted columns and hieroglyphs and a great carving commemorating his victory over the Hittites at the Battle of Kadesh. Ramesses is pictured firing arrows from his chariot and smiting his enemies. There are also various offerings to the gods and the vibrant color and craftsmanship is astounding and beautifully well preserved.

The smaller temple is dedicated to Hathor and to Ramesses’ wife Nefertari. Like Akhenaten before him, who built a temple for his queen Nefertiti, Ramesses built a temple to honour his wife. The temple features ten meter high statues of him and his queen which are unusually the same size and within there are pillars and various beautifully painted scenes on the walls with the Pharaoh and his queen making offerings to the goddess Hathor. There is also a scene depicting Ramesses being crowned by Horus and Seth.

It is amazing to think that the two temples were dismantled and rebuilt here after being moved from their original location because of the building of the Aswan dam which would have submerged these wonders under water. The temples were carefully cut into segments and then reassembled after being transported to their new home like some vast jigsaw puzzle. They were relocated on the western bank of Lake Nasser in the 1960’s after an international campaign raised the funds necessary to move them. This story is an interesting draw in itself and it is fantastic that they were able to preserve these temples for future generations to enjoy.

The site remains one of the most popular tourist destinations in Egypt and thousands of people visit every year. Unfortunately it is not very easy to get to and it is located about 290km southwest of Aswan. We flew out to visit the temples and there are regular flights available although it is quite an expensive excursion. Once you are there the actual admission to the temples is reasonably priced as far as I remember and it is best to arrive as early as possible, both because the site will be less busy, and also because the temple is at its most dramatic as the early morning rays of the sun first catch it. Abu Simbel is a magical place and highly recommended.