The Abu Simbel temple is located in the governorate of Aswān muḥāfaẓah, Southern Egypt.The Abu Simbel temple has become one of the most important findings in Egypt, alongside the Pyramids of Giza. It has become one of the many significant historical attractions worldwide.The entire temple is carved out of a sandstone cliff situated on the west bank of the River Nile. Because of the close proximity to the River Nile, the temples were almost destroyed when construction of the Aswan High Dam began. UNESCO passed on the idea of relocating the temples to a better spot that would not get in the way of the dam’s functioning. In November 1963, a group of archaeologists, hydrologists, engineers, and other professionals began the multi-year plan to relocate the temples by carefully cutting the temples into precisely sized blocks. The plan took five years to complete, and various Swedish companies took part in the rescue operation. In the September of 1968, the temples were successfully relocated and managed to capture the essence of the old structures perfectly! The estimated cost of the entire relocation was estimated to be around 200 million Swedish Krona (1.7 billion Swedish Krona in today’s monetary value!).If you like this article about Abu Simbel facts, be sure to check out articles about mausoleum at Halicarnassus and catacombs facts!Abu Simbel: HistoryIt is estimated that the construction of the Great Temple at Abu Simbel began around 1274 BC, and they were completed after more than 20 years in 1244 BC. The structure consists of a Great Temple and a small temple dedicated to King Rameses II and his wife, Nefertari.The construction of the temples began as a means to celebrate King Ramses II’s victory over the Hittites, and it was also a means to impress the southern neighbors of Egypt.On closer inspection, the graffiti on the huge statues reveals inscriptions that prove the ancient Egyptians’ usage of the Greek alphabet.After the reign of the last Pharoah of Egypt, the Temple Abu Simbel was forgotten and was eventually covered in sand because they were not of any use. The temples were rediscovered by a Swiss Orientalist named Johann Ludwig Burckhardt in 1813. His findings were only the top portion of the main temple of King Ramses II.Today, the Abu Simbel temples are known as one of the most gorgeous temples commissioned by King Ramses II in all of Egypt. Giovanni Belzoni, an Italian explorer, became the first European to enter the Abu Simbel temples four years later in 1817.Before being termed ‘Abu Simble Temple,’ the temple was known as the ‘Temple of Ramses, beloved by Amun.‘Abu Simbel: Geographic LocationAbu Simbel is a village situated in the extreme south of Egypt, and it is located near the border that Egypt shares with Sudan. This area, in ancient times, was the southern border of the Pharoah-ruled Egypt, facing Nubia (a region in Sudan).Because of the location of the temples close to the Nile River, the site was almost lost due to the rising water levels caused by the construction of the Aswan High Dam.Purpose Of Abu Simbel TemplesThe Abu Simbel Temple, along with the Sanctuary of Isis at Philae, has been termed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the name of the Nubian Monuments. They extend from Abu Simbel downriver to the Philae.The two temples were formed during the reign of King Ramses II from a cliff during the 13th century BC. The temples depict King Rameses II, his wife Queen Nefertari, and their children. The temples do not have statutes of any other wives of the King. Only statues of Queen Nefertari can be found in the temples. This is often seen as the result of Nefertari being the first and principal wife of King Rameses II, whom he loved most among all his other queens. Many ancient Egypt temples follow the same set of principles behind their construction.In reality, the Abu Simbel Temple is made up of two separate temples, and both of them are rock-cut structures built under King Ramses II’s reign during 1200 BC. One temple is of King Ramses II, and the second temple is dedicated to Ramses’ wife, Queen Nefertari.The Great Temple was also a structure dedicated to the sun gods Ptah, Ra-Horakhty, and Amon Ra. This is duly represented with four seated goliaths at the front of the Abu Simble temple.The statues in the temple that portray Ramses II are topped off with the Pharoah wearing a double crown representing Lower and Upper Egypt.The structure also consists of a pillared hall that has beautiful scenes of sacrifices to the several Egyptian gods on four pillars decorated by these depictions.Queen Nefertari’s temple is also known as the temple of Hathor and is situated 328 ft (100 m) to the northeast of the main temple. The same temple is devoted to the goddess Hathor.Abu Simbel is only the second instance in Egypt of a Pharoah dedicating a temple to his significant other. Before King Ramses II dedicated the temple to his beloved wife Queen Nefertari, Pharoah Akhenaten dedicated a temple to his great royal wife, Nefertiti, 100 years earlier. Around 200 years earlier, Hatshepsut, only the second recognized female Pharoah, built the Temple of Hatshepsut for herself.Abu Simbel Temple Design And Style DetailsA cruise on Lake Nasser has an optional stop that can be used to see the temples. However, in the past, this lake posed a danger to the temples because the waters in the lake rose due to the construction of the Aswan High Dam.The hypostyle hall leads to the second pillared hall covered with scenes of various offerings to the gods. Depictions of Ramses and Nefertari can be seen on the scared boats of Ra-Harakhti and Amun. This hall leads to the sanctuary entrance, and the back wall consists of sculptures of four seated figures of the gods Ptah and Amun Ra, Ramses as a god, and Ra-Horakhty. Ra-Horakhty was worshiped in Heliopolis, Amun Ra in Thebes, and Ptah was worshiped in Memphis.Another depiction portrays Queen Nefertari making offerings to the goddess Mut and Hathor. The north walls and the south walls of the sanctuary have paintings of the King and Queen providing papyrus plants to the Goddess Hathor. On the west wall, a painting of Nefertari and Ramses II making offerings to the god Horus and the cataract gods Khnum, Anubis, and Satis.The smaller temple has four statutes outside its entrance of the Pharoah and his two brides. Each of these statues is 32.8 ft (10 m) tall!The interior of the Abu Simbel Temple is similarly built to other temples of Ancient Egypt. The temple has a large entrance surrounded by giant statutes on both sides. These statues measure around 59 ft (18 m) and 54.8 ft (16.7 m) in length and width respectively. The multiple rooms present in the temple become smaller as the temple’s sanctuary is approached.The layout on the inside of the Abu Simbel Temple is like most other Egyptian temples. It also has an unusual and complicated design that is incorporated with several side chambers. The hypostyle hall, also known as pronaos, is reinforced by eight huge Osiris pillars and depicts Ramses in the form of a god, with the god of the Underworld, Osiris.The Abu Simbel Temple comprises a complex architecture that depicts the various scenes between Ramses and his beloved wife, Queen Nefertari.Some of the painting on the walls of both the small temple and the great temple includes depictions of the gods Horus and Set blessing Ramses, Ramses’ offering to the seated god Ptah.The Abu Simbel Sun Festival is the phenomenon where the sun travels around 656.1 ft (200 m) perpendicular and hits the ‘Holy of Holies’ inside the temple Abu Simbel. This phenomenon only occurs twice a year.Did You Know?In Egypt, the Abu Simbel temples come only second to the Pyramids of Giza for the number of tourists that visit the archaeological site. An estimated 14.7 million visitors come to see the Pyramids of Giza every year.King Ramses II also constructed the Ramesseum at Thebes, the complex at Abydos, the hall at Karnak, and various other monuments and buildings. The hand-carved pillars, carvings, and wall paintings are seen as some of the most historical findings in Egypt.The Abu Simbel Temple has its own airport because of the massive number of tourists visiting the archaeological site. The site also has a hotel nearby the temple known as Queen Nefertari. The hotel is close to the temple structures, so visitors can explore freely without worrying about transportation.Visitors are often prohibited from taking cameras to prevent any fading or accidental damage in the Abu Simbel Temples due to the fragility of the thousands of years old hand-carved pillars, statues, carvings, and wall paintings that make the Abu Simbel Temple one of the most famous archaeological sites.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created many interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 15 Amazing Abu Simbel Facts Revealed On Ancient Egypt Temples, then why not take a look at Why Do Wasps Sting? How Your Family Can Prevent Being Zapped or Why Do We Classify Organisms? Creature Classes Explained For Kids?
The Abu Simbel temple is located in the governorate of Aswān muḥāfaẓah, Southern Egypt.
