Abu Simbel (أبو سمبل)

Abu Simbel (أبو سمبل)


The magnificent Abu Simbel temples of Ramses II are located high above Lake Nasser, not far from the border with Sudan. They were carved out of the mountainside during the 13th century BC. In 1968, when the Aswan dam was built, both temples were taken apart stone by stone and rebuilt on higher ground to protect them from being submerged by the rising waters of Lake Nasser. The temples were moved to an artificial hill, where they were rebuilt stone by stone.

Abu Simbel contains two different temples. The Great Temple took some 20 years to build. It was completed around 1265 BC and dedicated to the gods Amun, Ra-Horakhty and Ptah, as well as to the Ramesses himself. The Small Temple is the temple of Hathor and Nefertari. It is 100 m (330 ft) northeast of the temple of Ramesses II and dedicated to the goddess Hathor and Nefertari, who was Ramesses II's main consort.

Other sites that would be inundated were also moved to higher ground. They include Philae, Amada and Wadi es-Sebua. They are all included in the list of UNESCO world heritage sites.

Abu Simbel is about 260 km south of Aswan. There are buses between Aswan and Abu Simbel several times a day. It is also possible to fly there from Aswan, or Cairo. There are several hotels near the site.


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