The history of Abu Simbel Temple and where it is located in Egypt
Abu Simbel Temple, one of the most famous and important monuments in Egyptian history and culture, especially in the Pharaonic era.
This extraordinary monument built in the past about 3000 years ago and located on the western shore of Lake Nasser in the city of Aswan. It is 33 meters high and 38 meters long.
This site is located south of Aswan along the shores of Lake Nasser and is the most famous in all of Egypt after the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx.
The great temple of Abu Simbel built by the greatest of the pharaohs, Ramesses II.
This huge temple carved into the rock marks the southern border of the ancient Egyptian Empire with Nubia.
It is a very famous archaeological site in Egypt, especially in Aswan.
There are 7 statues at the entrance of the other temple, 4 statues for King Ramses, and the other 2 statues for his Nefertari wife.
They say that the temple was built to celebrate the victory in the battle of Qadesh with his wife.
What does the temple of Abu Simbel consist of
Historians and Egyptologists have done careful research in Egypt and ancient history and have discovered that the four statues at the entrance to the main temple are also the largest sculptures dating back to the ancient Egyptian Pharaonic era.
Their realization was intended to convey the power of the rulers of Egypt or anyone who laid eyes on them, and in fact, the great statues of Ramesses and his bride Nefertari still inspire a certain fear today.
The Temple of Abu Simbel: was built by two temples; the first one is the great temple to Pharaoh and is 30 m high and 33 m long and the second one is a small temple dedicated to Nefertari.
Abu Simbel was rediscovered under the ruins in 1813 by Swiss John Lewis Burckhardt.
The sands of the desert had covered almost their entire structure, leaving the tops of the heads of the huge statues in front of their entrance uncovered in 1909 when the sand was removed, these twin temples became the most popular in all of Egypt.
Temples of Abu Simbel, the move 50 years ago
The organization of Unesco has chosen the temple of Abu Simbel as a very historical and important archaeological site in the field of tourism that could help to increase the level and numbers of tourists visiting Egypt, especially Aswan and Luxor.
Every tourist knows very well there is a very famous event called the miracle of the sun.
It happens twice a year, on February 21and October 21.
The construction of the temple lasted up to 21 years in the time of King Rameses II.
The temple of Abu Simbel found destroyed underground due to earthquakes and floods.
The temple of Abu Simbel includes many ancient monuments and many precious rooms for “Ramses II”.
Many manuscripts in hieroglyphic language told all the details of history and what they did during that time.
Every detail inside the temple reflects the history and greatness of our Egyptian pharaohs.
Although they may appear as monuments dedicated to Ramesses II and his bride, both temples dedicated to gods.
The main temple features four majestic statues dedicated to Ramah
The second temple built in honor of Ramesses’ favorite wife, Nefertari, and dedicated to the goddess Hathor.
The temple has six colossal statues on its façade, four of which depict Ramesses and two Nefertari.
Do you have a passion for the Egyptian history of the pharaohs? Want to know more about Ramses II and the Temple of Abu Simbel?
You can book your tailor-made trip to do a Nile Cruise and then a special visit to Luxor and Aswan.
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The sun miracle in Abu Simbel on 22 February
The temple aligned with the sun at two different times of the year.
Abu Simbel’s Sun Festival takes place every February 22 and October 22.
Hundreds of tourists come to see how sunlight passes through stones and lights the temple up.
Statues of Ramses, the gods who lived in this temple show the knowledge of the ancient Egyptians about astronomy.
You can visit Abu Simbel temple to witness the miracle of the sun and enjoy the beauty of the view. [Check our Aswan day tours & Abu Simbel day tour]
The temples are a few hours’ drive south of Aswan, but most tourists arrive in Abu Simbel by plane.
The flight from Aswan takes 30 minutes, with two departures per day planned to give visitors about two hours to visit the temples.
It is also possible to reach Abu Simbel on a cruise across Lake Nasser.
Don’t miss to check our Luxor and Aswan Nile Cruises!
