👑 Abu Simbel Temples

About This Sacred Site

Abu Simbel consists of two massive rock-cut temples on the western bank of Lake Nasser in southern Egypt, originally carved out of a mountainside during the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses II in the 13th century BCE. The Great Temple features four colossal seated figures of Ramesses, each 20 meters tall, guarding the entrance. The temple was precisely aligned so that twice a year, on February 22 and October 22, sunlight penetrates 60 meters into the inner sanctuary to illuminate the statues of the gods within. In one of the greatest engineering feats of the 20th century, the entire complex was cut into blocks and relocated 65 meters higher in the 1960s to save it from the rising waters of the Aswan Dam.

Key Facts

• •The four seated statues of Ramesses II are each 20 meters (66 feet) tall
• •Twice yearly, sunlight penetrates 60 meters to illuminate the inner sanctuary
• •Relocated in its entirety 65 meters higher in the 1960s to avoid flooding from the Aswan Dam
• •The relocation project cost $40 million (1960s dollars) and involved cutting the temple into blocks
• •UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979

Location

Coordinates: 22.3360, 31.6256