Temples of Abu Simbel

The iconic image of the four Ramses II statues is famous the world over though many might not be familiar with the actual name “Abu Simbel” which is actually the name of the nearby village which was home to Ramses II's favourite Nubian wife Nefetari, so much so that the smaller of the two temples located on this site is dedicated to her. The site is located in the extreme south of Egypt near the border with Sudan.

Abu Simbel is also known for having been flooded when the Aswan Dam was built so had to be physically raised 66 meters up and back 200 meters – A colossal engineering feat that involved cutting the temples into blocks and reconstructing them like a giant jigsaw puzzle. They realised in order to retain the context of the temples they also had to move the surrounding rock face.

Practicalities

Getting Here

Abu Simbel is located approximately 3 1/2 hours south of Aswan, Egypt so getting here takes a bit of planning and is probably best left to a tour company but coach trips can be arranged. The town itself has a few amenities including several hotels.

Site Structure

There is a toilet and small café at the car park with the main site entrance a short walk down a path with standard ticketing and security.

On the site you approach the monument from the rather unattractive rear - Two huge mounds of rock and concrete.

A hilly path goes around the monument following the edge of Lake Nassar. It is a long walk so those that are mobility challenged can take one the numerous golf buggies servicing the site. There is a gift shop near the lake just outside the smaller temple with a café located near the entrance/exit. When you exit the site you are forced to pass through a series of souvenir stalls before being returned to the car park.

Site Access

You have full access to both temples which are excessively decorated in glorious colour. It can get quite cramped inside the temples and be aware of people taking pictures who may get annoyed if you wander into their shot.