Abu Simbel, Egypt Photo Gallery

The Temple of Ramesses, beloved by Amun, is one of two temples in a complex carved out of the rock cliffs along the Nile in what is now southern Egypt, near the Sudan border.  

It is believed that the temples were constructed over a 20-year period during the reign of Ramesses II in the 13th century BC.  

Construction of the Aswan High Dam in the 1960s threatened to submerge the temples. In a massive salvage operation, the temples were diced into blocks and raised to a new location more than 200 feet higher than the original.  

A smaller temple in the complex, built to honor Nefertari (Ramesses' wife) and the goddess Hathor, was also relocated to avoid the rising waters of Lake Nassar.  

Four seated statues of Ramesses II flank the entrance to the Temple of Ramesses, beloved of Amun. At 67 feet in height, each is taller than Thebes’ Colossi of Memnon.  

Eight enormous statues act as pillars in the first chamber of the main temple.  

Relief carvings on the walls show Ramesses in battle.  

A smaller, second hall is decorated with scenes of ritual offerings.  

Exploring the side chambers, one begins to realize the effort that was required to move these temples to their new locations above Lake Nassar’s waters.  

At the back of the Temple of Ramesses lies the sanctuary with statues of Ramesses and three gods, aligned so that they would catch the light of the rising sun on one day in February and again in October.