Overview:
The temples of Abu Simbel are two rock temples on the west bank of Lake Nasser. They are located in the Egyptian part of Nubia on the southeastern edge of the place Abu Simbel and were in the 13th century BC. Built under King (Pharaoh) Ramses II from the 19th Dynasty of the ancient Egyptian New Kingdom.
The rock temples of Abu Simbel, the great temple to the glory of Ramses ’II and the small Hathor temple in memory of Nefertari, his great royal wife, have been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1979. Both temples are no longer in their original location. In order to save them from the rising waters of Lake Nasser, the reservoir of the Nile dammed up by the Aswan Dam, they were removed between 1963 and 1968 and rebuilt 64 meters higher on the Abu Simbel plateau. There they rise today on an island in Lake Nasser, which is connected on the northwest side by a navigable dam with the town of Abu Simbel.
The name Abu Simbel is a European conversion of the Arabic Abu Sunbul, a derivative of the ancient place name Ipsambul. In the time of the kings of the New Kingdom, the region in which the temples were built was probably called Meha.
The rock temples of Abu Simbel, the great temple to the glory of Ramses ’II and the small Hathor temple in memory of Nefertari, his great royal wife, have been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1979. Both temples are no longer in their original location. In order to save them from the rising waters of Lake Nasser, the reservoir of the Nile dammed up by the Aswan Dam, they were removed between 1963 and 1968 and rebuilt 64 meters higher on the Abu Simbel plateau. There they rise today on an island in Lake Nasser, which is connected on the northwest side by a navigable dam with the town of Abu Simbel.
The name Abu Simbel is a European conversion of the Arabic Abu Sunbul, a derivative of the ancient place name Ipsambul. In the time of the kings of the New Kingdom, the region in which the temples were built was probably called Meha.
About 20 km southwest of Abu-Simbel was the small village of Ibschek, which was a little north of the second Nile cataract, in today's Sudan (Wadi Halfa Salient ) flooded by Lake Nubia, near the border with Egypt.
Abu Simbel is located in southern Egypt near the border with Sudan. The place belongs administratively to Aswan Governorate. The Sudanese border is located in the southwest at a distance of only about 20 kilometers, and deviates here from the 22nd latitude north and forms the promontory of Wadi Halfa.
Abu Simbel is connected to the governorate capital of Aswan by a road that runs west of Lake Nasser through the Libyan desert.
The Climate
In the past, Abu Simbel was on the west bank of the Nile between the first and second cataracts.
It is mainly used by tourist buses that take visitors to the two temples of Abu Simbel, but is also important for the irrigation projects of the part of the desert near the reservoir.Lake Nasser is navigable, so Abu Simbel can also be approached from the sea side. Some cruise ships only use the lake above the Aswan High Dam. The place can be reached by air through Abu Simbel Airport.
The Climate
Abu Simbel is located in one of the warmest and driest regions in Egypt, In the summer months, the maximum temperatures are a good 40 ° C on average. Despite the large temperature differences between day and night, the values rarely fall below 20 ° C in summer. The winters are mild with maximum values of around 25 ° C, with temperatures sometimes falling below 10 ° C at night. Precipitation is so rare here that it is not possible to specify a “rainy season” for Abu Simbel.
History
In the past, Abu Simbel was on the west bank of the Nile between the first and second cataracts.
Cataracts are rapids structured by blocks or rock bars; they were difficult for Nile navigation to pass, especially at low tide.Today the two mentioned cataracts near Aswan and Wadi Halfa sank in Lake Nasser.
At the time of Ramses II, the southern border of the Pharaonic Empire was near the second cataract. The construction of the temple complexes at Abu Simbel there was intended to demonstrate the power and eternal superiority of Egypt over the tributary Nubia.
The axis of the temple was carefully chosen by the ancient Egyptian architects, as the sun's rays penetrate the sanctuary on February 22 and October 22 and shine light on the sculptures on the back wall.
An exception to this phenomenon is the statue of the god Ptah, as it is linked to the kingdom of the dead, as they always remain in the dark.
People in Abu Simbel witness this phenomenon in those days and is considered one of the most famous Pharaonic events
An exception to this phenomenon is the statue of the god Ptah, as it is linked to the kingdom of the dead, as they always remain in the dark.
People in Abu Simbel witness this phenomenon in those days and is considered one of the most famous Pharaonic events
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