Abu Simbel

The temple was discovered in May 1813 year by the Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt. He found her Nubian travelingthrough the desert along the Nile about 250 miles south-east of Aswan.


The temples were built in the thirteenth century BC, during the reign of Ramses II in the years 1279 -1213 BC The interior is carvedinto the rock and has a length of 50 meters. On the walls appear reliefs depicting images of Ramses II. Among them is the reliefcommemorating the victory of Ramses II in the Battle of Kadesh. On the back wall are statues, which twice a year - 20 February and 20 October the rising sun shines. The temple dedicated to Amon-Re, Re and Ptah-Horakhte.


Next to the church is smaller, which is dedicated to the goddess Hathor and the royal wife Nefertari. Outside the stand four statues ofsitting on the throne of Ramses II and his mother, a wife and a few of the numerous descendants.


Due to the construction of High Aswan High Dam in the years 1960-1971 and the creation of Lake Nasser temple was threatenedflooding. To protect against destruction of Abu Simbel Egyptian government and UNESCO decided to move the structureapproximately 65 meters above.


The building was cut into several thousands of stone blocks weighing about 20 tons each and were transported to the designated place. Move completed in 1966, and a place where there were temples had long been flooded. All work supervised by Professor Kazimierz Michalowski, a reconstructed building retained its original orientation, so that there is still two times a year, the sunilluminates the statues.