Abu-Simbel
The Great Temple of Ramesses II is on the left and the Small Temple of Nefertari is on the right.
|
|
 Shown within Egypt
|
|
| Location | Aswan Governorate, Egypt |
|---|---|
| Region | Nubia |
| Coordinates | 22°20′13″N 31°37′32″E / 22.33694°N 31.62556°ECoordinates: 22°20′13″N 31°37′32″E / 22.33694°N 31.62556°E |
| Type | temple |
| History | |
| Builder | Ramesses II |
| Founded | Approximately 1264 BCE |
| Periods | New Kingdom of Egypt |
| Official name | Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | i, iii, vi |
| Designated | 1979 (3rd session) |
| Reference no. | 88 |
| Region | Arab States |
The Abu Simbel temples are two massive rock temples at Abu Simbel (Arabic: أبو سمبل), a village in Nubia, southern Egypt, near the border with Sudan. They are situated on the western bank of Lake Nasser, about 230 km southwest of Aswan (about 300 km by road). The complex is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Nubian Monuments", which run from Abu Simbel downriver to Philae (near Aswan). The twin temples were originally carved out of the mountainside in the 13th century BC, during the 19th dynasty reign of the Pharaoh Ramesses II. They serve as a lasting monument to the king and his queen Nefertari, and commemorate his victory at the Battle of Kadesh. Their huge external rock relief figures have become iconic.
The complex was relocated in its entirety in 1968, on an artificial hill made from a domed structure, high above the Aswan High Dam reservoir. The relocation of the temples was necessary or they would have been submerged during the creation of Lake Nasser, the massive artificial water reservoir formed after the building of the Aswan High Dam on the Nile River.
Construction of the temple complex started in approximately 1264 BC and lasted for about 20 years, until 1244 BC. Known as the "Temple of Ramesses, beloved by Amun" it was one of six rock temples erected in Nubia during the long reign of Ramesses II. Their purpose was to impress Egypt's southern neighbours, and also to reinforce the status of Egyptian religion in the region.
...
Wikipedia