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Abu Simbel survived through ancient times, only to be threatened by modern progress. Because the site will soon be flooded by the rising nile river, it was decided that the temple should be moved, it was moved in 1968. They were moved 600 feet away from the original site.

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The Temple of Rennes II was made in Abu Simbel, 1303 - 1213 BCE. The temple was made out of sandstone and was dedicated to the gods. The main purpose of this temple was to celebrate military victories. This temple is relevant because it serves as a memory of all the hard work Ramses II did for Egypt.

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Ramses built the Temple at Abu Simbel in Egypt to intimidate his enemies and seat himself among the gods. This temple was dedicated to the Egyptians gods Ra-Horakhyt, Amun and Ptah.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDi51dEloLM

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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 Ramses II, Ramses fought fierce battles to secure the borders of Egypt against the Hittites, Nubians, Libyans and Syrians.

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Visiting the temple of Ramesses II in Abu Simbel [how it looks inside]

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A visual Abu Simbel tour. Facts, history, useful information, what it looks like inside, and how to get there.

Is Abu Simbel on your bucket list? Have you been dreaming of visiting the temple of Rameses II but you are not sure if it's worth it?

Well, then you are exactly in the same position I was before my visit. Ever since my earliest childhood days, I wanted to visit Abu Simbel - the unique Egyptian temple relocated by the UNESCO in 1968 in its entirety to save it from inundation after the building of the Aswan high dam.

Note: You can find my detailed Egypt travel guide here

After my visit, I felt like sharing my impressions of the unique rock temple - especially what it looks like inside Abu Simbel. Also, most people forget that there is a second, lesser temple right next to the temple of Ramses II. His wife, Nefertari also has a small temple. I'll also show you how to get to Abu Simbel from Aswan and how much time it will take to see it. Also, make sure to read my list of the 20 best things to do in Egypt, where Abu Simbel is also featured.

If you are still looking for a bus tour to Abu Simbel, you might want to check out this tour with good reviews on GetYourGuide*

Anyway, let's join me on my Abu Simbel temple tour!
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Don't know what to wear in Egypt? Here is my detailed packing list.

Quick Abu Simbel Facts

Location: Aswan, Egypt on the banks of Lake Nasser

Original name: The temple of Ramesses-Meryamun

Construction: 13th century BC

Commissioned by: Pharao Ramses II

Purpose: Monument to commemorate his victory at the Battle of Kadesh

Dedicated to: Amun, Ra-Horakhty, Ptah, and the deified Ramses II

Size: Statues of Ramses II are about 20 meters high

Relocation: 1986 because of the creation of Lake Nasser (read more here)

Distance from Aswan: 288 km

UNESCO World Heritage Site: "Nubian Monuments"

Starting your visit in Abu Simbel

Abu Simbel is a Nubian town only a few kilometers away from the border to Sudan. The town has around 2,500 inhabitants and pretty much lives on the tourists coming to visit the ancient Egyptian temple of the selfsame name (most of them stay in Aswan, so make sure to read my guide).

The gigantic rock temple of Ramses II in Abu Simbel is located right on the banks of Lake Nasser, some 15 minutes by taxi from the airport. From the entrance of the UNESCO World Heritage site, you will have to take a concrete path of about 300 meters down to the actual temple.

This path will lead you past the back of the relocated temple and give you a fair impression of the gigantic effort it took to preserve the landmark in its current state. From the front, you'd never guess, the temple was originally built some 180 meters west and 64 meters further down the now inundated valley of the Nile.

Temple of Ramses II

So, why was Abu Simbel built? The temple of Ramses II in Abu Simbel is one giant brag. Ramses had it built to celebrate his victory over the Hittites in the battle of Kadesh, though in reality the battle most likely ended in a draw (he would even marry a Hittite princess later on). Still, the warrior Pharao did seem to have a vast understanding of propaganda and its effect.

The temple was hewn into the raw rock in between the first and second cataract of the Nile (vanished after the building of the Aswan High Dam) in the 13th century B.C. Four colossal statues of Ramesses II guard the entrance of the temple. Quite notable is the fact that Ramesses is depicted as himself wearing the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt, and not - like in previous generations, as a god in the guise of the Pharaoh. The Pharaoh himself suddenly attained godhood and was no longer "just" the means to commune with the gods.

If you look quite closely, you will find many lovely details like the row of 22 squatting baboon statues in the lintel welcoming the rising sun. You will also see several smaller statues standing next to the four colossi. These represent his chief wife (Nefertari), his mother Mut-Tuy, his first two sons and his six daughters. You will also find quite a lot of graffiti from past explorers and of course, the statue of the falcon-headed Ra Horakhty holding a feather (' user') in his right hand and Ma'at (goddess of justice) in his left, thus forming parts of Ramesses throne name " User-Maat-Re " - the Justice of Re is powerful.

Other than that I could not find a single source what Abu Simbel actually means. It's not the ancient name, but only the name of the town. The temple itself is properly called 'the temple of Ramesses-Meryamun ' - Ramesses, beloved of the god Amun.

Inside the Abu Simbel Temple

The temple is surprisingly big inside, given that it was carved from the bare bedrock. It actually sticks to pretty much the same layout as most other temples from that time. First, there is a hypostyle hall with eight huge pillars depicting a deified Ramses as the god of the Underworld - Osiris.

The hall only has one row of columns and you will find somewhat crude bas-reliefs on the walls behind them depicting the Battle of Kadesh and other important military campaigns the Pharaoh fought against the Hittites.

Right behind the hypostyle hall (also called pronaos) is a second, smaller hall with scenes depicting the royal couple making offerings to the gods and two sacred boats of Amun and Ra-Horakhty.

At last, you will enter a tiny little sanctuary with the four seated figures of the gods Ra-Horakhty, a deified King Ramses, Amun Ra, Ptah. Allegedly Abu Simbel was built in such a way that the sun will align in such a way that it illuminates the sanctuary on October 22nd and February 22nd - except the statue of Ptah - a god of the Underworld who will always remain in the dark. Most likely the birthday of the king, or perhaps his coronation day.

Parallel to the main axis of the temple, you will find a couple of minor chambers. It feels a bit like a warren and most of them have pretty crude murals and reliefs and pretty weird layouts (some even sloping upwards).

Temple of Nefertari

Right next to the great temple of Ramesses II. you will find a smaller temple dedicated to goddess Hathor and his chief-wife Queen Nefertari. What sounds almost trivial is in fact quite notable. This was only the second time a temple ever was dedicated to a queen.

Now, you will probably still notice that Ramesses didn't refrain from adding statues of him to the front of the smaller temple as well. But his statues have the exact same size as those of Neferteri, which is yet again quite remarkable and shows yet again the paradigm shift induced after the reign of Akhenaten ended.

Much like in the grand temple, there is a smaller hypostyle hall within as well - but only with six pillars. Through a little vestibule, it leads directly to the sanctuary dedicated to Hathor, the goddess of joy, music, and motherhood in the form of a cow.

How long does it take to see Abu Simbel? All in all your circuit of the temple complex will probably take around 90 minutes - which is plenty.

How to get from Aswan to Abu Simbel

Now you are probably wondering how to get to Abu Simbel? Sadly, the distance between Aswan and Abu Simbel is 280 kilometers and Luxor lies 591 kilometers away. The good news: There are daily flights from Aswan to Abu Simbel. You'll depart around 10:00 am and will be back around 2:00 pm but it will cost you about 250 US-Dollar per person.

If Aswan to Abu Simbel by air sounds too expensive, you can also pick a tourist bus ( this one has very good reviews) for a fraction of that price and roughly 7 hours on the bus driving through the Nubian desert. Most hotels will be able to offer you a tour. Want to know further details? Here is my full guide to doing Abu Simbel on a day trip >>

Other things to do in Abu Simbel

There are a couple of hotels in Abu Simbel. But truth be told, there really is no reason to stay a night. There is literally no other things to do in Abu Simbel save visiting the temple of Ramses II. True enough, there are a couple of other Nubian temples in between Abu Simbel and Aswan, but these are best explored on a cruise ship (just in case: check out my review of the fantastic Oberoi Zahra - the best cruise ship on the Nile river)

So, this was my little Abu Simbel travel guide. Hope you liked it and you got a good impression of what to expect. I absolutely loved visiting and I'd definitely count it among the top 5 must-sees in Southern Egypt. Remember to bring water & sunscreen (check out my guide on what to wear in Egypt to make sure).
Further reads: Still got any questions? Comment below! Liked my article? Then share it on social media or pin it to your Pinterest board!
*Note: I earn a small commission from purchases through GetYourGuide links in this article.

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Visiting the temple of Ramesses II in Abu Simbel [how it looks inside]

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Is Abu Simbel on your bucket list? Have you been dreaming of visiting the temple of Rameses II but you are not sure if it's worth it? Well, then you are exactly in the same position I was before my visit.

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Built 1264 - 1244 BCE

Built on the west bank of the Nile River, between the first and second cataracts of the Nile, the site of Abu Simbel is one of the most recognizable ancient sites in Egypt. It contains two temples, carved into a mountainside, that were built by Pharaoh Ramses II (1303-1213 BCE), also known as Ramses the Great.

The larger of the two temples contains four colossal statues of a seated Ramses II at its entrance, each about 69 feet (21 meters) tall. The entranceway to the temple was built in such a way that on two days of the year, October 22 and February 22, the light would shine into the inner sanctuary and light up three statues seated on a bench, including one of the pharaoh. It's been hypothesized that the sun shining inside on these dates may commemorate his coronation and birth.

In addition to the main temple, Abu Simbel has a second, smaller, temple that was probably built for Queen Nefertari. Its front includes two statues of the queen and four of the pharaoh, each about 33 feet (10 meters) in height. Each is set between buttresses carved with hieroglyphs.

While the site was built by an Egyptian ruler, and is located within modern-day Egypt, in ancient times the place it was located in was considered part of Nubia, a territory that was at times independent of ancient Egypt. Abu Simbel was built to be an imposing message to unwelcome visitors traveling on the Nile - Pharaoh is mighty and owns everything past this point, so respect his authority.

Abu Simbel today is no longer in the same location as it was in ancient times. The area where the temples were originally located is now flooded. The temples were moved and raised to escape the rising water caused by the construction of the Aswan High Dam, built between 1960 and 1970. Between 1964 and 1968, the temples were dismantled and relocated on an artificial hill made from a domed structure that is 200 feet (64 meters) above and 600 feet (180 meters) west of their original site. This relocation project, completed under the direction of UNESCO, is one of the most impressive engineering feats in history.

One consequence of the move is that the sun no longer shines on the interior of the temple exactly on the original commemorative dates. Due to the displacement of the temple and/or the accumulated drift of the Tropic of Cancer during the past 3,280 years, each of these two events has moved one day closer to the Solstice.

Image: Abu-Simbel, Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum.
http://www.ancient.eu/Abu_Simbel/ https://www.livescience.com/37360-abu-simbel.html http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/02/0221_abusimbel.html https://oi.uchicago.edu/gallery/abu-simbel#I1A2_72dpi.png http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/88

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Built on the west bank of the Nile River, between the first and second cataracts of the Nile, the site of Abu Simbel is one of the most recognizable ancient sites in Egypt. It contains two temples, carved into a mountainside, that were built by Pharaoh Ramses II (1303-1213 BCE), also known as Ramses the Great.

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The sheer size (65 feet in height) of the four seated statues of Ramses is enough to project overwhelming power. The figures of the king's favorite wife, Nefertari, and their children, placed beside his legs, are more like Ken and Barbie dolls in comparison.