What prompted the big move (one that’s known as one of the largest archaeological and architectural marvels in modern history)? The Abu Simbel temples: history and facts on their relocation The temples at Abu Simbel are different from the other temples in Egypt because they are carved into the rocks. This beautiful temple was built by King King Ramses II for his Wife Queen Nefertari. To save the temples from the rising waters of the Nile due to the construction of the Aswan Dam, $40 million was spent relocating the complex to its current spot beside Lake Nasser. Ramesses II was one of the most powerful and important Pharaohs of the New Kingdom. With the expertise of Polish archaeologist Kazimierz Michałowski from the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology University of Warsaw, the temples were moved 65 metres higher and 200 metres away from the river to avoid being lost.Abu Simbel old and new location. One of the original plans wasn’t to relocate the temples but to build a small freshwater dam around them. They are about 230 kilometres southwest of the Aswan close to the borders of Sudan. Luckily, this plan wasn’t approved and the temples were relocated instead. The temple was constructed by the most celebrated Ancient Egyptian; King Ramses II. The Abu Simbel temples were a celestial solar miracle that inspired every single soul that put their eyes on it revealing images of ancient definitions of beauty, glory, and bliss. The temples are part of a larger UNESCO World Heritage Site, 3. What’s remarkable is that it’s one of the few times that the Pharaoh’s wife had statues of the same size as those of her King. This is one of the most decorated and most beautiful temples commissioned during the reign of Ramesses II, and in Egypt. Indeed, it is the most beautiful of the temples … Image Source. Also, check the high dam that is very near to Aswan. Previously, the highly contentious King Akhenaton (1353-1336 BCE), had dedicated a magnificent temple to his queen Nefertiti. The bigger temple is the main temple, it belonged to King Rameses II. The Abu Simbel site had been thought sacred to the … if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-listerious_com-banner-1-0')};The Great Temple at Abu Simbel was dedicated to Ra-Harakhty, Ptah, and Amun, the three main Gods at the time the temples were constructed. There is also a hotel close to the temple named after Queen Nefertari. Abu Simbel temples are two massive rock temples in Abu Simbel in Nubia, southern Egypt. Location of the Temples Although he had other wives, only One, Queen Nefertari, had a temple dedicated to her. This is similar to other temples in Egypt that were built in this fashion. Abu Simbel Temples are the second-largest man-made tourist attraction site in Egypt. Then 4 years later, Italian explorer Giovanni Belzoni was the first European to enter the temples. They are situated on the western bank of Lake Nasser, about 230 km (140 mi) southwest of Aswan (about 300 km (190 mi) by road). In our case, we were staying in Aswan, so it … She was King Rameses II principal wife and his favourite. The project, which was part of the UNESCO Nubian Salvage Campaign, has been described as one of the most challenging tasks in archaeological history!Abu Simbel as the night falls. We all know that the Ancient Egyptians were not only great engineers but also great astronomers. They built them to let in rays of the sun to illuminate the statues on the back wall except for the god of darkness. by Ali Abu Dashish. Inside Abu Simbel Temples. It’s part of the southernmost Governorate of Upper Egypt called Aswan and about 230 kilometers (140 miles) to the southwest of the city of Aswan. The two temples were cut in the cliffs about 310 Km south of Aswan. After that, the temples got completely covered and lost in history until a Swiss traveler named Johann Ludwig Burckhardt found the top part of the Great Temple and started digging in 1813. During this time, Abu Simbel led an exhibition at the site of the temple. Due to the construction of Aswan Dam , there was a threat of the submersion of these temples. Abu Simbel, site of two temples built by the Egyptian king Ramses II (reigned 1279–13 bce), now located in Aswān muḥāfaẓah (governorate), southern Egypt. In fact, the Abu Simbel temples map helps a person to reach the place conveniently. These two sacred Temples are found in the mountain side. Nefertairi is one of the best- known Egyptian queens. This is not only one but two ancient rock temples in Egypt built to honour King Ramses II around 1200 BC. The temple completed around year 24 of the reign of Ramses the Great (which corresponds to 1265 BC). Thank you for sharing. / Source. It was only the second temple dedicated to a Pharaoh’s wife, 6. The Great Temple of Ramses II was also dedicated to the sun gods Amon-Re, Ptah and Re-Horakhte. Construction of the temples took two decades to complete. The long drive is much better and refreshing. A close look at the statues will reveal graffiti inscribed on them. The first time, Akhenaten dedicated a temple to his great royal wife, Nefertiti. These are proof of the use of the Greek alphabet by the Egyptians. Discover Walks contributors speak from all corners of the world - from Prague to Bangkok, Barcelona to Nairobi. The government was also considering constructing a dam at the same location. It’s believed that this happened on October 22 and February 22, the Pharaoh’s birthday and coronation day respectively. The current location of the temples is not where they were originally. In ancient times the area was at the southern frontier of pharaonic Egypt, facing Nubia. Queen Nefertari’s temple is known as the temple of Hathor and is 100 metres northeast of the main temple. Share; Pin . time period. / Hajor / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en. The twin temples were built in the 19th dynasty under the rule of Pharaoh Ramesses II, also known as Ramesses the Great, between 1279 and 1213 B.C. One of the most remarkable facts about Abu Simbel is that the Small Temple was only the second temple in all of Ancient Egypt that was dedicated to the Pharaohs wife. They have remained to be a lasting historical monument of King Rameses and his beloved wife Queen Nefertari. 3. The Great Temple of Abu Simbel is dedicated to the gods Amon-Ra, Ra-Harakhti, and Ptah, but it was also erected to demonstrate the might of the Egyptian empire and for the eternal glorification of Ramesses II. One temple is dedicated to King Ramses II, and the second temple is dedicated to his beloved wife Queen Nefertari. The four colossal statues of Ramses in front of the main temple are spectacular examples of ancient Egyptian art. This is one of the most visited ancient sites in Egypt so much so it has its own airport. The area that was declared … The Small Temple was dedicated to the goddess Hathor who was personified by one of the numerous wives of Ramesses, and most probably his most favorite one, Nefertari.View of both temples. The camera is not permitted to bring inside the temple. During the relocation of the temples in 1964, UNESCO ensured that important characteristic was as precise as the original setting. In 1964 the two Abu Simbel Temples were carefully cut into several pieces and were moved further away from the rising water of Lake Nasser. To support our blog and writers we put affiliate links and advertising on our page. The statues were covered in sand up to their knees, the statues were more than 10 metres tall. To preserve them for future generations, the Egyptian museum authorities do not allow cameras in there. Nearly 200 years earlier, a female Pharaoh built her own temple as well, the Temple of Hatshepsut.if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-listerious_com-large-leaderboard-2-0')}; Did we say that Nefertari was Ramesses the Great’s favorite wife? Moreover, the temples dedicated to the gods Amun, Ra-Horakhty, and Ptah. The Small temple is located about 100 meters (330 feet) to the northeast of the Great Temple and has a similar layout. The temple is surprisingly big inside, given that it was carved from the bare bedrock. Facts about Abu Simbel. of Tourism & Antiquities CAIRO - 21 February 2021: The Abu Simbel Temples are two massive rock-cut temples at Abu Simbel, a village in Aswan Governorate, Upper Egypt, near the border with Sudan. These two seasons represent the birth and coronation of King Rameses II. 1:48 PM January 30, 2019. This would have meant that the temples would have been submerged and that underwater viewing chambers would have given access to it. Facts about Abu Simbel. Work on the temples began about 1264 BC and lasted for about 20 years. By Ali Abou Dashish and Nawal Sayed. Facts about Abu Simbel 1: visitors. The temples are part of a larger UNESCO World Heritage Site. The entrance of the temples has figures of Ramses II that are 20 meters tall. Architect Jean Jacquet, a UNESCO expert, looking at the survey of the Great Temple of Rameses II – Wikimedia. It will give you an amazing experience. If you come to Egypt and you explorer Nile River using the cruises, you can view the temple. Fun facts on Abu Simbel Sun Festival in Egypt Abu Simbel Temples - Min. The Great Temple’s interior resembles that of most temples of Ancient Egypt. It’s believed that they managed to build the temples in Abu Simbel in such a way that they were perfectly aligned with the sun. The temples are a representation of King Rameses II, Queen Nefertari and their children. It wasn’t until the year 1817 though that an Italian explorer named Giovanni Belzoni found an entry to the temple, officially becoming the first man to set foot inside the Great Temple at Abu Simbel in numerous centuries.Partially excavated statues. It was commissioned by King Ramesses II. The temples of Abu Simbel are famous because of the iconic reliefs that were carved out of the rocks. The Abu Simbel temples are also notable in that for only the second occurrence in the history of ancient Egypt, a ruler elected to consecrate a temple to his queen. Because of the construction of the Aswan Dam in the 1960s and 1970s, Lake Nasser was formed. It is a strange fact that Abu Simbel, one of the most famous monuments of Egypt, was almost totally unknown even as late as the 19 th century. This is a village in Nubia, southern Egypt, near the border with Sudan. The temples were named after a young boy, Abu Simbel, who was the first to leaf an exhibition of the site in 1813. It’s famous for its two massive rock temples called the Great Temple and the Small Temple, which are both located on the western bank of Lake Nasser.if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-listerious_com-medrectangle-4-0')};The temples at Abus Simbel / Source. This had only happened when Pharaoh Akhenaten had dedicated a temple to his beloved Royal wife Nefertiti, nearly 100 years earlier. Abu Simbel Temples are historical monuments which attract millions of visitors every year. Abu Simbel is a small village in the extreme south of Egypt, not too far... 2. The Solar alignment over the Grand temple is one … To protect this historically rich site 60 countries funded the project for the relocation of the temples. This relocation process was managed by UNESCO. But then again, fascinating landmarks as these must be preserved at all cost, right? The Abu Simbel Temple is actually two individual temples, both rock cut structures, and both built during the reign of King Ramses II sometime in the 1200 B.C. Water at the banks rose significantly and posed danger to the ancient temple. / Wiki Commons. Another one is a pillared hall that consisting of four pillars decorated with beautiful scenes of sacrifices to the gods. Her name means “The Beautiful Companion” This concludes the ultimate list of facts about Abu Simbel, one of the most beautiful and fascinating temple complexes built in Ancient Egypt! These temples have been cut out of Rock cliffs near the Aswan, the bigger one was dedicated to King Ramses II while the smaller one was dedicated to his wife Queen Nefertari. The temples were named after a young boy, Abu Simbel, who was the first to leaf an exhibition of the site in 1813. Another archaeological mystery about this temple is the statues carved to precision such that Plah, the god of darkness, remains in complete darkness. Abu Simbel temple was rescued in 1963 and transferred to the gift of Abu Simbel when the construction of the High Dam began. It started in 1964 and was completed by 1968. One temple is dedicated to … Dedicated in theory to the tiad of the divinities consisting of Amen-Ra, Harmakhis, and Ptah, the temple was built to glorify over the centuries the name of its builder, Rameses II the Great, who reigned for 67 long years. After the reign of the last Pharaoh of Egypt, the temples were forgotten and got covered with sand since they were not in use. The temples had a different name in Ancient Egypt, 7. Light from the sun goes through the temple only twice a year and this is during the planting and flooding seasons. 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