Abu Simbel

I spent time in Cairo and in Aswan, as well as a day in Luxor. While in Aswan, Kara and I took a day trip to Abu Simbel, a site that features the Temple of Ramesses II and a temple erected in honour of his wife Nefartari. They are incredible!

Not only are these two temples among the most magnificent monuments in the world but their removal and reconstruction was an historic event in itself. When the temples (280 km from Aswan) were threatened by submersion in Lake Nasser, due to the construction of the High Dam, the Egyptian Government secured the support of UNESCO and launched a world wide appeal. During the salvage operation (1964 to 1968), the two temples were dismantled and raised over 60 meters up the sandstone cliff where they had been built more than 3,000 years before. Here they were reassembled, in the exact same relationship to each other and the sun, and covered with an artificial mountain.