What is so special about Abu Simbel?
Abu Simbel, site of two temples built by the Egyptian king Ramses II (reigned 1279–13 bce), now located in Aswān muḥāfaẓah (governorate), southern Egypt. The four colossal statues of Ramses in front of the main temple are spectacular examples of ancient Egyptian art. …
Who was buried in Abu Simbel?
These two immense carved rock temples at Abu Simbel, a village in the ancient Upper Egyptian region of Nubia, are dedicated to 13th century Pharaoh Ramesses II and his first wife Nefertari.
What was the Abu Simbel temple used for?
Ramses built the Temple at Abu Simbel in Egypt to intimidate his enemies and seat himself amongst the gods.
What happened in the 1960s to the temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel?
Epic engineering rescued colossal ancient Egyptian temples from floodwaters. In 1960, a new dam on the Nile threatened Ramses II’s temples at Abu Simbel and other ancient treasures. Here’s how the world saved them.
Why is Abu Simbel important to Egypt’s history?
The Small Temple is also notable in that it is the second time in ancient Egyptian history that a ruler dedicated a temple to his wife (the first time being the Pharaoh Akhenaton, 1353-1336 BCE, who dedicated a temple to his queen Nefertiti).
Why was the Abu Simbel moved?
Moving the temple Abu Simbel survived through ancient times, only to be threatened by modern progress. Because the site would soon be flooded by the rising Nile, it was decided that the temples should be moved.
What does Abu Simbel represent?
Thus the beautiful temples at Abu Simbel represent a magnificent paean to Ramesses the Great and his beautiful Queen Nefertari as gods. He was worshipped there, by Nubians and Egyptians, during his lifetime and after his death.
Why were the temples at Abu Simbel relocated in the 1960s?
Why was Egypt’s Abu Simbel temple moved in the 1960s?
Why was Egypt’s Abu Simbal temple moved in the 1960s? Egyptian officials wanted to relocate the temple to increase tourism in Giza.
What happened to Abu Simbel?
The Temples of Abu Simbel were relocated in order to rescue the ancient temples from the waters of the Nile. The Abu Simbel Temples were dismantled and relocated in 1968 on the desert plateau 64 meters above and 180 meters west of their original built site. Moving the temples was not a job; it was massive work.
How did Abu Simbel temple get its name?
Many believe that Abu Simbel was the name of a young local boywho had seen the buried temples through the shifting sands and guided Burckhardt to the site. Four years later, Belzoni excavated the area and named it after the boy who led Burckhardt. Unfortunately, whatever the ancient Egyptians named the complex has now been lost.
Where is the village of Abu Simbel in Egypt?
The very small village of Abu-Simbel lies 280 km south of Aswan, and only 40 km north of the Sudanese border. Even though it is home to several hotels, the small town is usually overlooked by tourists as a holiday destination.
What is the temperature in Abu Simbel Egypt?
Abu Simbel is located in one of the warmest and driest regions of Egypt. In the summer months, the high temperatures are easily 40 °C on average.
How much did it cost to salvage the Abu Simbel temples?
However, the proposal, though acknowledged to be extremely elegant, was rejected. The salvage of the Abu Simbel temples began in 1964 by a multinational team of archeologists, engineers and skilled heavy equipment operators working together under the UNESCO banner; it cost some US$40 million at the time (equal to $300 million in 2017 dollars).
How were the Abu Simbel temples built?
Built in 1244 B.C., Abu Simbel contains two temples, carved into a mountainside. The entranceway to the temple was built in such a way that on two days of the year, October 22 and February 22, sunlight shines into the inner sanctuary and lights up three statues seated on a bench, including one of the pharaoh.
Why were the Abu Simbel temples built?
When was the Abu Simbel built?
The Abu Simbel complex, built over the course of 20 years in the 13th Century BC, is one of the most impressive still standing today.
What is the importance of the Great temple of Abu Simbel?
It was dedicated to the gods Amun, Ra-Horakhty, and Ptah, as well as to the deified Ramesses himself. It is generally considered the grandest and most beautiful of the temples commissioned during the reign of Ramesses II, and one of the most beautiful in Egypt.
What is Abu Simbel used for?
The temple was mainly cut into a solid rock cliff. The main goal behind construction was to celebrate the victory of Ramses II that was established during the Hittites at Kadish battle in 1274 B.C. The temple was dedicated to a number of ancient Egyptian gods such as Ra-Horakhty, Ptah, and Amon.
How did they move the temple of Abu Simbel?
The temples were not built of stone or any other material, but were instead carved into a cliff. To move the temples, the rock above the temple roofs first had to be “peeled away”. The roofs, walls and not the least the temple facades were then cut into blocks, each weighing between 20 and 30 tons.
How long did it take to build Abu Simbel temple?
The Great Temple at Abu Simbel took around twenty years to build. Also known as Temple of Ramses II, it was dedicated to the gods Amun, Ra-Horakhty, and Ptah, as well as to the Great King Ramesses himself.
What are the two temples of Abu Simbel?
There are two temples, the Great Temple, dedicated to Ramesses II himself, and the Small Temple, dedicated to his chief wife Queen Nefertari.
Who was Abu Simbel dedicated to?
What stands in front of the Abu Simbel temple?
Located 150 meters far away from the Grand Temple, the Small Temple has a front featuring four great seated colossi, two of Ramses II and two of Nefertari. The walls of this temple display images of Ramses and Nefertari while they’re praying to the gods.
Who built the Great Pyramid of Giza?
Khufu
It was the Egyptians who built the Pyramids. The Great Pyramid is dated with all the evidence, I’m telling you now, to 4,600 years, the reign of Khufu. The Great Pyramid of Khufu is one of 104 Pyramids in Egypt with superstructure, and there are 54 Pyramids with substructure.
Why was the temple of Abu Simbel relocated?
The two Abu Simbel temples were relocated in order to keep them from being submerged during the creation of the Aswan High Dam reservoir. Different plans were suggested to save the temples from submersion; ultimately the plan chosen was to relocate the temples to higher ground.
Who did Ramses dedicated to temple to Abu Simbel?
In 1257 BCE , Pharaoh Ramses II (1279-13 BCE) had two temples carved out of solid rock at a site on the west bank of the Nile south of Aswan in the land of Nubia and known today as Abu Simbel. Long before Ramses II, the site had been sacred to Hathor of Absek. The temple built by Ramses, however, was dedicated to the sun gods Amon-Re and Re-Horakhte.
Why were the Abu Simbel statues in Egypt relocated?
Abu Simbel survived through ancient times, only to be threatened by modern progress . Because the site would soon be flooded by the rising Nile, it was decided that the temples should be moved.
What was Ramses II statue made of in Abu Simbel?
Giant limestone statues of Ramses II (Rameses – 1304-1237 BC) holding the crook and the flail, symbols of kingship, Temple of Ramses, Abu Simbel (Simbul). On left each statue has cartouche for Rameses carved on shoulder. From watercolour by Scottish artist David Roberts (1796-1864) dated 9 November 1936. ID: D96C18 (RM)