What was special about 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.
Why is it named Abu Simbel?
The name Abu Simbel, or Abu Sunbul in Modern Standard Arabic, is itself a derivative of the ancient place name Ipsambul. In the New Kingdom period, the region in which the temple was built may have been called Meha, but this is not certain.
When was Abu Simbel made?
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 Abu Simbel for kids?
Abu Simbel is the site of two ancient Egyptian temples. The site is located on the Nile River in southern Egypt. They were carved out of a sandstone cliff on the west bank of the Nile. Huge statues of Ramses at the main temple are about 66 feet (20 meters) tall.
What are two facts about Abu Simbel?
Top 10 Facts about Abu Simbel Temple
- Construction of the temples began in the 13th century.
- Abu Simbel temple was dedicated to the sun gods.
- It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Queen Nefertari was King Ramses II favourite wife.
- The Abu Simbel temple was relocated.
- It was forgotten until the 19th century.
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).
Who found Abu Simbel?
Carved out of a sandstone cliff on the west bank of the Nile, south of Korosko (modern Kuruskū), the temples were unknown to the outside world until their rediscovery in 1813 by the Swiss researcher Johann Ludwig Burckhardt. They were first explored in 1817 by the early Egyptologist Giovanni Battista Belzoni.
What is in Abu Simbel?
Built in 1244 B.C., Abu Simbel contains two temples, carved into a mountainside. The larger of the two temples contains four colossal statues of a seated pharaoh Ramesses II (1303-1213 B.C.) at its entrance, each about 69 feet (21 meters) tall.
Where is the Abu Simbel Temple located?
southern Egypt
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. In ancient times the area was at the southern frontier of pharaonic Egypt, facing Nubia.
What was found in Abu Simbel?
The temple was dedicated to a number of ancient Egyptian gods such as Ra-Horakhty, Ptah, and Amon. Abu Simble complex mainly contains two main temples: The Grand Temple that stands 30 meters high and 35 meters long featurting four seated colossi at the entrance of King Ramses II on his throne.
What is inside Abu Simbel?
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.
How was Abu Simbel built?
Abu Simbel is the site of two ancient temples in southern Egypt. They were built by the Egyptian king Ramses II, who ruled from 1279 to 1213 bc. The temples were carved out of a sandstone cliff on the west bank of the Nile River , south of Korosko (now Kurusku), Egypt.
How old is Abu Simbel?
Abu Simbel. Definition. Abu Simbel is an ancient temple complex, originally cut into a solid rock cliff, in southern Egypt and located at the second cataract of the Nile River . The two temples which comprise the site were created during the reign of Ramesses II (c. 1279 – c. 1213 BCE) either between 1264 – 1244 BCE or 1244-1224 BCE.
What was the temple of Ramses II?
The great temple of Ramses II was built between 1274 and 1244 BC, carved in the rock overlooking the Nile river . The temple is dedicated to the Egyptian gods Amun, Ra-Horakhty, and Ptah, as well as to the deified pharao Ramses II. The temple facade consists of four colossal statues of Ramses II seated on thrones wearing…