Abu Simbel

Carved out of a mountainside in the 13th century BC, Ramses II’s stupendous Sun Temple at Abu Simbel was dedicated to three of Egypt’s pre-eminent deities – Amun of Thebes, Ptah of Memphis and Ra-Harakhty of Heliopolis, but it is principally a monument to the might of the Pharaoh.

Located at the southernmost tip of ancient Egypt’s borders, the four colossal statues of Ramses that front the temple gaze towards enemy territory as a warning to any who might approach.

In the 1960s, when the rising waters of the world’s largest reservoir, Lake Nasser, threatened to engulf the temples at Abu Simbel, UNESCO engineers cut them from the mountain in sections and reassembled the pieces to front an artificial mountain 210 m (700 ft) behind and 65 m (213 ft) above their original position.

Ten things to check out while you’re at Abu Simbel

1. Lake Nasser

Lake Nasser was formed with the completion of the High Dam in 1971. The water stretches south of the dam for nearly 500 km (300 miles) into Sudan. With a surface area of 6,000 sq km (3,700 sq miles) the lake is the world’s largest reservoir!

2. The Colossi

Ramses II had his temple adorned with four gigantic colossi fashioned in his likeness. Each of the complete seated figures is more than 20 m (65 ft) in height! Unfortunately, one of the colossi lost its upper torso in an earthquake in 27 BC.

3. Visitors’ Centre

Like Philae, the temples at Abu Simbel were rescued from the rising waters of Lake Nasser. The Visitors’ Centre contains an exhibition telling the story of the move, with diagrams, photographs and models – a great way to get the story behind all the great structures and sites.

4. Statue of Ra-Harakhty

Above the entrance to the temple is a statue of the falcon-headed sun god Ra-Harakhty. At the top of the temple you’ll fine the remains of a frieze of baboons worshipping the rising sun.

5. Hypostyle Hall Reliefs

The southern wall of the Hypostyle Hall depicts the Battle of Qadesh (c.1275 BC), in which the pharaoh leads his army in a defeat of the Hittites on the River Orontes in what is now Syria.

6. Inner Sanctuary

A second pillared hall leads to a sanctuary at the rear of the temple, where there are four impressive statues representing Ptah, Ramses II, Amun-Ra and Ra-Harakhty.

7. Ramses Pillars

The Hypostyle Hall has twin rows of four pillars fronted by 10m (33ft) statues of Ramses in Osiride form carrying the classic crook and flail scepters of the royal regalia of ancient Egypt.

8. The Sun Ceremony

The Sun Temple is aligned so that on 22 February and on 22 October every year (to commemorate Ramses’ birthday and coronation date, respectively), the first rays of the rising sun illuminate the sanctuary cult statues of Amun-Ra, Ra-Harakhty and Ramses II, while Ptah stays in shadow – something worth seeing if your visit coincides with the dates.

9. Temple of Hathor

Beside the Sun Temple is a temple dedicated to the goddess Hathor, built by Ramses II to honour his wife Nefertari. The facade alternates colossi of the pharaoh and his queen. Inside is a hypostyle hall with Hathor-headed pillars.

10. Sound and Light Show

Set to music, the show at sundown includes projections onto the temples showing how they once looked!

Abu Simbel is worth seeing and is often offered as an optional extra on most Nile cruises. Alternatively, most hotels in Aswan organize excursions by minibus, which generally leave at 4:30am and return on the same day. There are also plenty of shops and cafés in the town which are just a short walk from the temples, perfect for some light refreshment.