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Abu Simbel Egypt
Country(s): Egypt |
 Abu Simbel is located next o the pyramids and is perhaps the most recognized monument of ancient Egypt. The two temples built for the pharaoh Ramses II (1279-13 BCE) 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. The temple was dedicated to the sun gods Amon-Re and Re-Horakhte. Because of their remote location near the Sudanese border in southern Egypt, the temples were unknown until their rediscovery in 1813. They were first explored in 1817 by the Egyptologist Giovanni Battista Belzoni. At the top of the pylon, above the cornice, is a row of baboons, who, as Watchers of the Dawn, are shown with their hands raised in adoration of the (rising) sun. The Egyptians believed baboons played a role in helping the sun god Ra defeat the darkness of night and so were believed sacred to the worship of the rising sun. The Abu Simbel has been attracting visitors since Victorian times. Almost as impressive as the monument itself is the story of its restoration in the 1960's. The temples had to be dismantled and physically moved 60 meters up a cliff where they were reassembled in the exact same relation to each other and the sun. A daily sound and light show is a highlight not to be missed. The Abu Simbel Festival which takes place twice a year in February and October. Natural sunlight and architectural brilliance combine to make the inner sanctum of the temple light up. It's a breathtaking sight and makes the music, dance and food that accompanies the festival pale in comparison.
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