Abu Simbel
The Abu Simbel temples are two massive rock temples at Abu Simbel, a village in Nubia, southern Egypt, near the border with Sudan. They are situated on the western bank of Lake Nasser, about 230 km southwest of Aswan as the birds fly. The twin temples were originally carved out of the mountainside in the 13th century BC, during the 19th dynasty reign of Pharaoh Ramesses II. Construction of the temple complex started in approximately 1264 BC and lasted for about 20 years, until 1244 BC. Both temples serve as a lasting monument to the king and his queen Nefertari. The complex was relocated in its entirety in 1968, to an artificial hill made from a domed structure, high above the Aswan High Dam reservoir. The relocation of the temples was necessary or they would have been submerged during the creation of Lake Nasser, the massive artificial water reservoir formed after the building of the Aswan High Dam on the Nile River.
Four colossal 20 meter statues of the pharaoh with the double Atef crown of Upper and Lower Egypt decorate the facade of the temple, which is 38 meters wide and 31 meters high and is topped by a frieze with 22 baboons, the worshippers of the sun.
Amon-Re & Re-Horakhte Temple
Nefertari & Hathor Temple
The four statues represent Ramesses II together with the triad of Ptah, Amon Ra and Hamarkhis. It is truly remarkable that Ptah is never struck by the rays of the sub, for Ptah is the God of Darkness.
After relocation of the temple the phenomenon was preserved with a slight deviation: the sun reaches that point one day later, on February 22nd and October 22nd each year.
2,5 m high
The base of the terrace is decorated with reliefs depicting Negro and Asiatic prisoners of Ramsesses II.
Sacrarium
The sun fall in the big tempel reaches the sacrarium in the heart of the temple (65 meters deep) and enlightens during the first 12 minutes the left statue and subsequently 14 minutes the two right statues. Originally this phenomenon took place on both February 21st and October 21st every year at the solstices.
The temple of Hathor is dedicated to Nefertari, the wife of Ramsesses II. The six statues, 10 meters tall, with their left legs set slightly forward, seem to break out of the living rock as they move towards the light. Nefertari is shown as Hathor, with the horns of the sacred cow, the solar disk and two plumes.
