Abu Simble

Abu Simble Temples

The temple of Abu Simbel is located in a village of the same name in Upper Egypt. This temple was built by the Pharaoh Ramses II as a monument to his own reign. He is represented by the now iconic statues that decorate the temple’s exterior. The temple was originally built to show the power of Egypt and Ramses himself to the Nubian people. With this in mind, the grandeur of this ancient building becomes clear. One side of the temple is devoted to Egypt’s state gods: Ra, Ptah and Amun. These gods are represented by the Statues of Ramses. The second side is dedicated to the Goddess Hathor, who is similarly represented by Ramses’ wife Nefertari. Abu Simbel’s size, scale and detail are still just as impressive today, so it doesn’t take much to see how Ramses made his plan work.

In more recent history, the temple was moved in 1967 to save it from flooding during the building of Aswan’s High Dam. It’s amazing how such an iconic Egyptian monument was so close to being lost to time, so by seeing it for yourself, you’re helping its legacy live on.

This site is considered “the only unsunk wonder of the ancient world”.