EGYPT: Abu Simbel Temples - Nubia

The Abu Simbel temples are two massive rock temples at Abu Simbel, a village in Nubia, Upper Egypt, near the border with Sudan. The temples are situated on the western bank of Lake Nasser, about 230 km (140 mi) southwest of Aswan, about 300 km (190 mi) by car. The complex is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Nubian Monuments", which run from Abu Simbel downriver to Philae (near Aswan).

The twin temples were originally carved out of the mountainside in the 13th century BC, during the 19th dynasty reign of the pharaoh Ramesses II. They serve as a lasting monument to the king and his queen Nefertari, and commemorate his victory at the Battle of Kadesh. Construction of the temple complex started in approximately 1264 BC and lasted for about 20 years, until 1244 BC.

The Great Temple was dedicated to the gods Amun, Ra-Horakhty, and Ptah, as well as to the deified Ramesses II himself; all four seated figures can be seen as rock cut sculptures on the back wall of the sanctuary.

The Small Temple was built about one hundred metres northeast of the temple of pharaoh Ramesses II. It was dedicated to the goddess Hathor and Ramesses II's chief consort, queen Nefertari. This was in fact the second time in ancient Egyptian history that a temple was dedicated to a queen. The first time, Akhenaten dedicated a temple to his great royal wife, Nefertiti.

The temples were relocated in its entirety from 1964 to 1968 on an artificial hill made from a domed structure, 64 metres above the Aswan High Dam reservoir and 200 metres back from the river. The relocation of the temples was necessary or they would have been submerged during the making of Lake Nasser, a massive artificial water reservoir formed after the building of the Aswan High Dam on the Nile River.*

March 16, 2019

A videography ticket (EP 300) is needed to film inside the temples.

*UNESCO Archives Film Collection: "The World Saves Abu Simbel", 1972
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhtMtoex2uA

AFP videographic of the relocation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6KC31W6lr4

Monster Moves:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCDQikYVnCA

Inside the artificial mountain of the Abu Simbel Temple:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrsxgJE4UXo

Impression of the original temples:
https://jeanclaudegolvin.com/en/abu-simbel

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