La visit to the Abu Simbel complex in southern Egypt It is a basic excursion if we go on vacation to this country. It is a monument that Ramses II ordered to be built and that has a great state of conservation. Being in a somewhat secluded place, excursions are made to see it exclusively.
Si you are going to travel to Egypt you may want to know a little more the details of these ancient temples. There are some curiosities that are interesting. In addition, we will tell you how to get there and how the tours that take place to this temple are usually, a place that is essential and that everyone should see.
History of Abu Simbel
These ancient temples were excavated directly from the rock in the XNUMXth century BC. of C., in the reign of Ramses II. This monument is dedicated to the wife of this pharaoh, Nefertari, to show his power to the Nubian people. The Great Temple was also dedicated to the cult of deities, of Ramses himself, since the pharaohs considered themselves gods, of Amun, Ra and Ptah. Next to these three gods Ramses himself is represented. This ensemble was erected to commemorate at the same time the battle of Kadesh against the Hittites, in which he boasts of having won that battle. It is curious that in their country the Hittites boasted of the same in their temples. The result was a peace treaty between the two. The construction of this amazing temple began in 1284 BC. C. and ended 20 years later.
This temple is a hypogeum, a funerary temple excavated in the rock or in underground places. And it is one of six found in the Nubian region. Like all temple and construction, it also had political purposes, since it tried to impress the Nubians and convince them of the importance of the Egyptian religion.
With the passage of time the monument was forgotten, and the sand gradually covered the statues. It was totally forgotten until the XNUMXth century, when the Swiss Johann Ludwig Burckhardt who found it. Already in the 200th century, an arduous task began to save the monuments that were in this region and that ran the risk of disappearing under the waters due to the construction of the Aswan dam. These temples were dismantled in blocks that were transported one by one to change their original location, 65 meters further from the river and about XNUMX meters higher. This is the monument we know today, even though it is not in the original location. It was a great engineering project that brought in experts from all over the world working under UNESCO.
How to get to Abu Simbel
The monumental area of Abu Simbel is located in southern Egypt, in the western area of Lake Nasser, 230 kilometers from the city of Aswan. When making a trip to Egypt we can see that there are many cruises that go to the city of Aswan, passing through the dam. These cruises are the most common way to get to Abu Simbel. It leaves early from Aswan to arrive at a time when it is not too hot. Bus trips are made. On many occasions the journey is made and the night is spent in tourist complexes that are near this area.
What to see in Abu Simbel
In this monumental complex we have two different temples, one dedicated to the gods worshiped at that time along with Ramses II, also considered a god. This is known as the Great Temple and has a 33-meter-high facade by 38 meters wide. The statues are seated on a throne. At the feet of the statues there are other figures representing Nefertari, the wife of the pharaoh, the queen mother or her children. Inside you can see rooms of decreasing height, until you reach the last one, which is the sanctuary.
Beside that Great Temple is the Minor Temple dedicated to Nefertari, Pharaoh's favorite wife. The façade has six standing statues, four of Ramses and two of Nefertari. The curious thing about these statues is that they are the same height, something unusual, since the wife was always represented smaller. This indicates the great importance of this wife for Ramses II. This is also the second temple that a pharaoh dedicated to his wife. The first was dedicated by Akhenaten to Nefertiti.
Curiosities of the temple
The Great Temple was built with a special location. The sun was very important to the pharaohs. That is why twice a year this sun penetrates directly into the main room illuminating the statues of Ramses, Ra and Amun. This happens on February 21 and October 19, coinciding with the birthday and coronation of the pharaoh. The god Ptah, however, always remains in the shadows, since he is a god linked to the underworld.