Abu Simbel is a historic site comprising of two massive rock-cut temples in the village of Abu Simbel, near the border of Sudan. It is situated on the Western bank of Lake Nasser, about 230km South-West of Aswan about 300km 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), and include Amada, Wadi es-Sebua, and other Nubian sites.
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 Ramesses II. His wife Nefertari and children can be seen in smaller figures by his feet, considered to be of lesser importance and were not given the same position of scale. This commemorates his victory at the Battle of Kadesh. Their huge external rock relief figures have become very iconic.
The complex was relocated in its entirety in 1968 as part of the International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia, under the supervision of a Polish archaeologist, it was moved 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 River Nile.
It is believed that the axis of the temple was positioned by the ancient Egyptian architects in such a way that on October 22 and February 22, the rays of the sun would penetrate the sanctuary and illuminate all the sculptures on the back wall, except for the statue of Ptah the god of darkness, who would remain in complete darkness. People would gather at Abu Simbel on these days to witness this phenomenon. These dates are allegedly the king’s birthday and coronation day, respectively. Unfortunately there is no direct evidence to support this. It is logical to assume, however, that these dates had some relation to a significant event. According to calculations made on the basis of the heliacal rising of the star Sirius and inscriptions found by archaeologists, this date must have been October 22. This image of the king was enhanced and revitalized by the energy of the solar star, and the deified Ramesses the Great could take his place next to Amun-Ra and Ra-Horakhty.
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