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Just beyond the city limits of Aswan at a small village called Abu Simbel lies one of the most impressive world heritage sites you will ever see! Near the border with Sudan are the Abu Simbel Temples, carved into rocks by Pharaoh Ramses II in the 13th century BC. These masterpieces of ancient Egypt are perhaps the most famous after the pyramids of Giza! With four giant statues of Ramses II guarding the Great Temple, it is one of Egypt's biggest and most fascinating archeological sites! Ramses has dedicated The Great Temple of Abu Simbel to the gods Amun, Ra-Horakhty, Ptah, and himself.
It was designed in a unique, mysterious way. All year the sanctum sanctorum (Which is the inner room in the great temple) remains in darkness except two days a year. On October 22nd and February 22nd, the sun's rays enter the sanctuary and illuminate the sculptures on the back wall, except the Statue of Ptah (God of darkness and dead). It's said that these dates are his birthday and the anniversary of his coronation.
Imagine the sun only illuminates this twice a year, every year for more than 3000 years now! What an architectural masterpiece! Twice a year, people from around the world gather at the Temples of Abu Simbel to celebrate the ancient Egyptians and all that they accomplished. 100 meters to the north of the great temple, you can find the second temple of Abu Simbel temples, known as the small temple, or the Temple of Hathor and Nefertari.
What makes these temples even more remarkable is their relocation in the 1960s. When the high damn of Aswan was built and Lake Nasser was created, the two temples would have sunk and been destroyed. Engineers from all over the world gathered to save this unique cultural piece. Indeed, they managed to reassemble the temples at a higher point above the lake without changing the shape or even the days the sun illuminates the statues! It was a world effort to save history! This site is a must-see when you visit Egypt!
