In southern Egypt, near the Sudanese border, stand two rock temples that Ramesses II had carved into the cliff face over 3,200 years ago. Their history is as fascinating as their appearance.
The temples
*Great Temple of Ramesses II* Four gigantic seated figures of the pharaoh, each 20 metres tall, guard the entrance. Inside: a hypostyle hall, side chambers and the inner sanctuary with four divine figures — including Ramesses himself (as a god). On two days of the year (22 February and 22 October), sunlight falls precisely on three of the four figures. The fourth always remained in shadow: the god of darkness.
*Small Temple of Nefertari* Built for Ramesses' consort Nefertari and the goddess Hathor. Unique: the queen was depicted at the same scale as the pharaoh — an extraordinary sign of devotion.
**The rescue — a masterpiece of engineering** When the Aswan High Dam was built in the 1960s, the rising Nile reservoir (Lake Nasser) threatened to flood the temples. UNESCO coordinated one of the greatest rescue operations in history: between 1964 and 1968, both temples were cut into over 1,000 individual blocks and reassembled 65 metres higher on an artificial mountain. Faithful to the original. To the millimetre.
**How do I get to Abu Simbel?** Abu Simbel is around 280 km south of Aswan. Recommended: fly from Aswan (45 minutes) or join a day-trip convoy. From Hurghada it is a multi-day trip.