Imagine you are a merchant in ancient Egypt, travelling across the vast desert when suddenly, you see immense figures rise above the Nile. It must have been an intimidating sight, and that is what Ramses II had in mind when he built Abu Simbel. Today, the colossal statues carved into the cliff walls are no less impressive and are the reason Abu Simbel is a top attraction in Egypt.
On the drive from Aswan to Abu Simbel, the flat desert reminded us of the prairies back home in Canada. Instead of wheat fields, though, all we saw in Egypt was sand. The closer we got to Abu Simbel, the greener it became with farms growing alfalfa, corn and other crops. The reason for the vegetation is that these fields are irrigated with water from Lake Nasser; otherwise, nothing would grow.
Abu Simbel
When Abu Simbel was built, this land was on the edge of Upper Egypt’s territory, near the border with Nubia (Sudan). Although the border has changed a few times over the years, the temple is once again very close to the Egypt-Sudan border. In the 13th century BCE, Ramses II built two temples on this land. Instead of being built solely as centres of worship, Abu Simbel was designed to intimidate Egypt’s enemies and foreign merchants. To achieve this, he had colossal statues of himself built into the cliff walls immediately above the Nile.
It no longer sits above the Nile; today, the water below the temple belongs to Lake Nasser. This artificial lake is the result of the Aswan High Dam. When the dam was being built, archaeologists realised that this new lake would flood Abu Simbel. To save this ancient monument, international specialists set out to do the impossible. Between 1963 and 1968, they moved the temples. First, they built artificial mounds with concrete domes above the temples, adding more than 60 m (200 ft) of height to the hills. Then, they systematically disassembled both temples before creating new caves and reconstructing them on higher ground. In total, they moved 16,000 blocks. If this hadn’t been done, these magnificent temples would have been submerged and lost forever.
Great Temple
Even after being relocated, you will still be captivated by this temple complex. Carved into the mountain wall just above Lake Nasser, the Great Temple is one of the world’s most remarkable temples. Its grand entrance was meant to intimidate and impress, and 3000 years later, it still does just that. Four statues of Ramses II, each seated on thrones, flank the temple doorway. Towering at 20m (66 ft) tall, they are giants. Although one was damaged by an earthquake in antiquity, the other three remain remarkably intact.
Not only are these statues immense, but they also exibit finer details. At their feet are small statues of his wife, Nefertari, their children and his mother.
Above the door is a statue of Ra-Horakhty, the god of the rising sun. An often-missed detail is the frieze of baboons at the very top of the entrance. They represent the god Thoth as a baboon. He is the god of wisdom, and these baboons are posed to greet the morning sun.
Large Hall
Once you pass through the gate, you’ll enter this magnificent rock-cut cave. Welcoming you are eight Osiride Ramses II statues lining either side of the Large Hall. This type of statue presents the pharaoh as the god Osiris, displaying the pharaoh’s eternal divinity.
In the rest of the room, every available place on the squared pillars and walls has reliefs and hieroglyphics. Most are battle scenes where Ramses II is victorious over the Hittites in the Battle of Kadesh. You can see Ramses II on a chariot, on horseback with a bow and arrow and even grabbing a gang of his enemies by the hair. We saw a version of this scene used over a thousand years later in the Philae Temple near Aswan.
An odd one that stands out is the god of fertility, Min, with an erect phallus. It symbolized masculinity.
Small Hall
Continuing deeper into the cliff, the next room is the Small Hall. Instead of battle scenes, the square pillars and walls in this room display mostly religious motifs.
There are many side chapels with low ceilings. Their walls are equally decorated; most depict offerings to the gods. As we admired the artwork, we had to keep reminding ourselves that this temple was actually a rock-cut cave.
Inner Sanctuary
The Great Temple is dedicated to three Egyptian gods, Amun-Ra, Ra-Horakhty, and Ptah, as well as the pharaoh himself. At the far end of the temple, 56 m (185 ft) deep into the cliff wall, lies the Inner Sanctuary. Also called the Holy of Holies, it pays reverence to the three gods and the pharaoh with a statue of each.
During sunrise on February and October 22, the sun’s rays enter this room and illuminate all of the statues, except Ptah. The sunlight does not shine on him because he is the god of the underworld. When the temple was in its original location, this occurred on the equinox, the 21st. Moving it 200 m higher changed the date, but not the effect. Isn’t it remarkable they were able to carve this temple with such precision?
Small Temple
Beside Abu Simbel is the Small Temple. It may not be as tall, but it is almost as impressive. In fact, if the Great Temple wasn’t beside it, you would be left with your jaw agape at your first view of it. Ramses II built both temples at the same time and dedicated the Small Temple to his wife, Nefertari, and the Goddess Hathor. It is often called the Nefertari Temple.
Similar to the larger temple, the front entrance is also graced with statues; four are of Ramses II, and two are of Nefertari depicted as Hathor. Although they are not as tall as those in front of the Great Temple, they are still attention-grabbing at 16 m (52 ft) tall. An interesting detail is that Nefertari’s statues are the same height as Ramses II’s, which is unheard of in these times. It shows his great love and respect for his wife. Their children are shown as the small statues at their feet.
Small Temple is also a rock-cut temple and beyond this gate you’ll be inside the mountain. The first room is the Hall of Hathor Pillars. As the name suggests, the square pillars are topped with Hathor’s heads. We saw similar ones in Hatshepsut’s Mortuary Temple and Dendera Temple.
Below these capitals, the pillars are adorned with large images of Nefertari, Hathor, and Ramses II.
On the walls you can enjoy more images of Nefertari and Ramses II. One shows the deification of Ramses II by Horus and Set, and another, of Nefertari being crowned by Hathor and Isis. There are also several cows on the walls. Hathor is often represented as a cow, or with cow ears, because she nurtured and suckled many of Egypt’s pharaohs.
There is also a sanctuary at the back of the temple. A relief on its back wall depicts Hathor as a cow, but unfortunately it is in very poor condition.
This complex, along with Philae Temple, the Unfinished Obelisk, and the archaeological site on Elephantine Island, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Entry – 800 EGP ($16 USD). On Feb and Oct 22, the entry fee is 1,200 EGP ($24.25 USD) and tickets must be reserved in advance; Opening Hours – 6 am – 5 pm. Time Needed – Plan to spend a couple of hours between these two temples.
Lake Nasser
On the walk from the parking lot to the temples, you’ll have nice views of Lake Nasser. This artificial lake is quite picturesque in its mountain surroundings. Their shape makes some of the mountains look like pyramids, but they are natural, made from sandstone and volcanic plugs.
We found that this poster helped us to put all of these dates, including many from outside Egypt into perspective.
Getting to Abu Simbel
Drive – The 200 km drive from Aswan takes just under 3 ½ hours. If you’re not on a tour, it is easy to find a private driver, but be sure to ask important questions. Only certified agencies are allowed to transport tourists in Egypt.
Our drive to Abu Simbel was an interesting one. We hired a private driver in Aswan who said he was allowed to make the trip. But when we stopped for a coffee just outside of Aswan, he said he needed 600 EGP to give to the police. We were a little upset because he didn’t tell us earlier, but we agreed that it would be taken out of his final payment.
Then, 5 km later, he turned off the perfectly good highway and into a gravel pit, where he drove on a very poor gravel road, made only by the hundreds of other cars who do the same. After 500 m or so, we pulled back onto the highway. We figured out that he was avoiding the check stop. Another time he drove on the wrong side of a toll booth to prevent paying the fees! It was similar on our tourist shuttle between Luxor and Aswan, where we had to keep the curtains closed so police couldn’t see that he had passengers!
Many private drivers do this; if they get caught, they pay the police, and all is forgotten. It seems to be a game to them, to trick the police. We didn’t see things like this in the Lower Nile, but in the Upper, we experienced it with two drivers in three days.
After Abu Simbel, the highway continues to the Sudan border. As we neared the temple, we passed hundreds of semitrailers parked on the side of the highway. Most were waiting their turn to cross the border into Sudan. Most of the time, the trucks can get through the border in a day, but at times, their wait can extend for weeks. Hearing this, we’ll no longer complain about long line-ups at Customs at the airport.
Fly – There is also an airport receiving domestic flights from Cairo or Aswan.
Click on the link to read our Travel Tips For Egypt.
To read more of our adventures in Egypt, click here.
Coming Next – Alexandria’s Historic Sites
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