Abu Simbel Travel Guide

Abu Simbel is on the top priority list of anyone going to Egypt. The temples of Abu Simbel are located in the southernmost part of the country; go any further and you are in the Sudan.

The easiest way to visit Abu Simbel is as an organized daytrip from Aswan you leave very early, you see sunrise somewhere in the desert and you can be at the site before it gets to hot. Many of these tours have arrangements for lunch included.  This is quite  expensive,  it normally would include an early morning flight and return by early afternoon. (driving takes several hours)

The main sight of the place are the two huge temples: the one for Ramses and the one for Nefertari. The view from this place is incredible, in the middle of the desert, and at the shores of Lake Nasser, which was created with  the damming of the Nile River to create the Aswan Dam.  The temples got world fame when an international UNESCO operation was needed to save them from the rising water of Lake Nasser. The bright colors in the carvings are essentially intact.  

The great temple Ramses II built this temple for himself to be adored beside the gods Amun-Re, Re-Horakhty, and Ptah. it is 33m high and 38m wide and 56m deep. King Ramses II built this temple for himself not only as a king but also as a god because when we look at the facade of the temple how king Ramses worshiping himself as a god it also shown him as a warrior and after that as a peace maker when he signed the first peace treaty in history and married the daughter of the Hittites.

Temple of Nefertari

The Temple of Queen Nefertari is  located 120m from the Temple of Ramses II and was also built by Ramses II, dedicated to the Goddess Hathor and to his wife Queen Nefertari. Queen Nefertari was the principal, and the most beloved, wife of King Ramses II. It is also a rock-cut Temple with a façade of about 28m long and 12m high, which contains 6 standing colossi, each one being about 11m in height. Four of them represent Ramses II and the other two represent Queen Nefertari, each is accompanied by two smaller figures of their children.

The entrance leads to a square hall, which is supported by 6 Hathor-headed pillars decorated with scenes depicting the King and the Queen making offerings to different deities. At the end of the hall there is a doorway leading to a transverse vestibule decorated with scenes of King Ramses II making offering to Re-HorAkhty, while the Queen is presenting flowers to Khenum, Sat-tet and Anket.The Transverse Hall leads to the Sanctuary, which contains a niche in the rear wall with a statue of Goddess Hathor, as a cow, protecting Ramses II.