The Temple of Abu Simbel, its history.
Abu Simbel Temple contains all the seduction, magic, and secrets of ancient Egypt, plus everything else that makes it irresistible, interesting, and mysterious. It was built by Ramesses II to show his magnificence and is now one of Egypt’s most prized possessions.
Ramesses II and the other pharaohs were obsessed with being immortal. Each pharaoh had his own way of leaving the things he found on his travels. During all this, Ramesses II, who was very clever, tried them all. People didn’t believe in him, but he eventually proved them wrong. He was called various things, such as the “Great King of Lower and Upper Egypt” or “The Builder King”, and he was able to break ancient rules and reach the divine level. He was able to do this because he built very large pyramids. Leaving treasures whose value cannot be measured and whose creation cannot be understood. During his reign, he was in charge of the Egyptian government for 66 years. He died in 1213 BC when he was 90 years old.
The Temple of Abu Simbel was built in Abu Simbel so that the pharaoh could maintain his own propaganda there. Its main target was the non-Egyptian people living in southern Egypt and outside the borders of the country. He wanted to show them how great he was and to make them fear him.
About a thousand kilometers from the Valley of the Kings, this site stands tall and proud on its own. The building in front is 33 meters high and 38 meters wide. His large statues can be seen around the main entrance to the temple.
For a long time, no one paid attention to the Abu Simbel temple. It has been buried in the sand for three thousand years, patiently waiting to be found and displayed again. The Abu Simbel temple was founded by Swiss explorer Jean-Louis Burckhardt in 1813. Also, in a few years, all the sand that was now covering it would be gone.
Next, we explore the mysterious chambers inside, each of which has been dug up to sixty meters underground and has a unique story to tell about Ramesses II. The frescoes that show the rule of the pharaoh may teach us about the splendor of his reign, his power, and his wealth. The great king was well-known in the region because he was able to make the natives do whatever he wanted. For example, he lies with the gods Ptah, Amun-Re, and Re-Horakhti in the central tomb of the temple.
The correct way to describe this wonderful place is as a plural. To be more precise, these are the Abu Simbel temples.
In fact, besides the main temple, there is a smaller temple built for Queen Nefertari, who was the pharaoh’s favorite wife.
Nefertari married Ramesses II before she became queen. During her reign, she was known for her beauty and strength.
She will remain by his side until the very end, and the King will still love her more than all of his other eight wives combined. On many Egyptian antiquities, there are paintings of her standing next to the king.
Rescue of the Temples
Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt, a French archaeologist, is trying to save the temple from being washed away by floodwaters. Between 1964 and 1968, the temple would be part of an exciting story because of this.
It takes weeks to measure with a magnifying glass, then it takes even longer to cut it into 1,500 pieces. Everything is done by hand, and the workers use their sweat, blood, and sawdust to keep the building erected in honor of the king in good condition.
After that, it will be moved to a place 65 meters higher and safer on an artificial hill. It is a place where people work long hours to build things to save the temple from rising waters. For the rescue attempt to be successful, one thing had to be taken into consideration: which way the structure was facing.
In fact, the sun can only shine on the sculptures for a short period of time each year, through a narrow window. Even in modern times, this magical place is still beautiful. And it was all because of this miraculous rescue, which at that time was the most advanced method of its kind. The operation is expected to cost $47 million and will feature historical figures from the time.
In an issue of Reader’s Digest, author Lowell Thomas made a public request for money. Readers of the magazine respond generously, helping raise the $3.5 million needed to save people. The temple was always on a hill in the Nubia region with a view of the Nile. Today it is a place of peace and tranquility. Although the pharaoh died thousands of years ago, they still used to show how great he was. Before, nothing has changed.
This helped the king reach his goal, and because of that, the Abu Simbel temple is one of the most beautiful ways to show his eternal glory.
How to get to Abu Simbel Temple?
From the city of Aswan, it takes almost three hours to get there.
Since it is close to a major airport, the Temple of Abu Simbel is easy to get to by plane.
Last but not least, there is the boat, which may be rented for a cruise on the Nile.
If you want to see this beautiful temple, you should take one of our Nile boat packages. The temple is part of a number of different vacation packages for Luxor and Aswan.
