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The Magnificent Abu Simbel

03/16/20 | Abu Simbel, Africa, Egypt, Temple, Travel, UNESCO

The Great Temple of Abu Simbel

Welcome back to another one of my Egypt posts!  Today I bring you as far South as we are going to go – to the magnificent Abu Simbel. These temples are certainly a site to be seen and it is incredible they are still as intact and preserved as they are dating back more than 3,000 years.  Of all of the places I visited during my two week trip to Egypt these temples were definitely the most difficult to get to but certainly one of the prettiest!   The two temples, The Great Temple of Ramesses II and the Small Temple of Hathor and Nefertari, are located 240km from Aswan and we actually ended up taking a 45 minute flight to and from to get there (and it sure beats a seven hour drive each way). 

There is a very popular saying TIA – this is Africa – which may sound like a joke until you are in Africa and this phrase is used to used to shrug off a whole range of inconveniences like flight delays. Since our flight from Aswan to Abu Simbel was more than two hours delayed were only going to have  a matter of minutes at the temples so I physically ran to them.  (You can see more in my story highlights) In the end it all worked out though, we had more than enough time to explore both temples and even a bit of shopping at the stores near the tickets.  

I had known the main temple had four statues of Ramesses II out front but it is only until you are standing in front of them that you can truly grasp the magnitude of 70 foot tall seated statues – and there are four of them! Both of these temples were built by King Ramses II in the Egyptian part of Nubia (south Egypt, close to Sudan) in honor of his wife though there are certainly more statues of him than there are of her. I think it is incredibly fascinating that while these temples look like they have been here for centuries they w4ere actually moved just over 50 years ago from their original location to their current spot on an artificial domed pile of dirt above the Aswan High Dam reservoir so they would no longer flood seasonally in Lake Nasser. 

Flying to Abu SimbelSign to the TemplesGreat Temple of Abu SimbelKing Ramses II Statue in NubiaInside the The Great Temple of Ramesses IIInside Abu Simbel TempleSide Room in The Great Temple of Ramesses II at Abu SimbelDoorway Inside the Great Temple of Ramesses II at Abu SimbelInside The Great Temple of Ramesses II at Abu SimbelEntrance to the Great Temple of Ramesses II at Abu SimbelKing Ramses II Statues in NubiaSiblings Outside the Great Temple of Ramesses II at Abu Simbel

The second temple, which would be incredible on it’s own but is a bit overshadowed by the bigger one, of Ramesses II built for his wife Nefertari.  Across this temple you can see hieroglyphics and they re covered in what looks like a pendant, a rectangle with curved tops and bottoms called cartouches. These cartouches are one of the ways historians know so much about temples that are more than 3,000 years old – they clearly say who the temple was built by and who it is dedicated to. Before we went inside our guide pointed out one stating that Ramesses II paid for the temple “for the Chief Queen Nefertari… for whom the sun shines.”  So lovely! take a look: 

Small Temple of Hathor and Nefertari at Abu SimbelTravel Blogger at Small Temple of Hathor and NefertariDoorway in The Great Temple of Ramesses IIMom and Kevin in The Great Temple of Ramesses IIHieroglyphics in the Great Temple of Ramesses II at Abu SimbelKelly Travel Blogger at Abu Simbel in EgyptDrawings in the Great Temple of Ramesses II at Abu SimbelKelly at the Small Temple of Hathor and Nefertari

Would you want to visit Abu Simbel? 

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Comments

  1. Fran says

    March 19, 2020 at 10:43 am

    Glad you ran to make the flight. This is one beautiful place that is not to be missed.

    Had never heard of it before but what a national treasure.

    The architecture, sculpture, paintings and setting are breathtaking. Good find.

  2. Beverly says

    March 19, 2020 at 8:50 am

    Yes, yes and did I say yes. Sign me up. I have always wanted to go to Egypt and after viewing your many posts it is way up on my bucket list.

    I knew about the pyramids and the sphinx of course and King Tuts tomb but I had no idea that there were so many more and so diverse. Fantastic and such intelligent culture they had so long ago. Looking forward to seeing it all first hand as soon as this nasty virus frees us up to travel.

  3. Cindy says

    March 18, 2020 at 5:17 pm

    What nice family shots interspersed within the photos. Your dad and brother look so cool in the thumbs up photo.

    Your brother with is arm around, I am assuming that is your mom is too cute too.

    Of course you always look great even when touring. Lucky you all got to go before this nasty virus cancelled your plans for the tirp.

  4. Liza says

    March 18, 2020 at 12:58 pm

    You are so right, Abu Simbel is truly magnificent and it is incredible they are still as intact and preserved as they are dating back more than 3,000 years. It seems like we can’t build things in the United States that stay intact for more than 75 years.

    You all look like ants compared to those huge statues at the entrance and the statues are so well carved and realistic. Would have loved to been the proverbial fly on the wall when those were being carved and then not sure, placed vertically or did they carve them when they were standing?

  5. Franicine says

    March 17, 2020 at 10:20 pm

    I had heard about this place but never really focused on its beauty.

    How lucky you are that you got to travel there. So majestic.

    It is amazing how big the statues are compared with you.

  6. Felicity says

    March 17, 2020 at 6:09 pm

    That Ariel shot is certainly the money shot.

    What a magnificent spot.

Hi, I am Kelly and welcome to Sparkles and Shoes, a fashion, travel, and lifestyle blog founded in 2012.  After six years of living in London I am back in New York with my husband and two littles! 

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