Aswan
Abu Simbel Temples
The Abu Simbel Temples are two monumental rock-cut sanctuaries overlooking Lake Nasser in southern Nubia, within Egypt's Aswan Governorate. Commissioned by Pharaoh Ramesses II of the Nineteenth Dynasty around 1264 BCE, the Great Temple is famous for four immense seated statues of the king and an interior sanctuary dedicated to Amun-Ra, Ra-Horakhty, Ptah and the deified Ramesses II. Twice each year, sunlight travels deep into the Great Temple, illuminating three sanctuary figures while Ptah remains in shadow. Nearby, the smaller temple honours the goddess Hathor and Queen Nefertari, whose statues stand remarkably equal in height to those of her husband. Threatened by the waters of Lake Nasser, both temples were dismantled and reconstructed on higher ground through an international conservation campaign completed in 1968. Abu Simbel forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage property Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae, inscribed in 1979.
