Abu Simbel
The great temples of Pharaoh Ramses II at Abu Simbel were discovered in 1813. When in the 1960 the Aswan High Dam was built to control the floodwaters of the Nile, a major international project initiated by the UNESCO rescued the threatened temples by cutting them from the cliffs and moved them in 950 huge blocks to a safer spot 65 m up and 210 m away from the shore. Today the original site with much of the ancient land of Nubia is under water.
The famous temples at Abu Simbel, in the southern Egyptian region of Nubia, were built about 1260 B.C.E. by Pharaoh Ramses II, who ruled Egypt for 66 years.
A multitude of craftsmen carved these massive monuments into
an already-standing rose-colored sandstone mountain on the banks of the Nile.
The complex at Abu Simbel consists of two temples. Four huge statues of Ramses guard the entrance, each 22 m high. The adjacent small temple was dedicated to Nefertari and has six colossal statues, four of the pharaoh and two of Nefertari, and some smaller of their children and family. The halls and chambers of the temples continue 56 m into the cliff.
Eventually over the centuries the temples became forgotten and were covered by drifting sands. Graffiti of Greek traders, dating back to the 6 th century B.C.E. which are among the oldest Greek inscriptions found so far, are the last signs of human visits.
As in ancient times also today twice a year on February 22 (the birth date of Ramses) and on October 22 (the day of his coronation), the rising sun moves all the way into the inner sanctum, her light illuminating the statues of Ramses and the sun-gods Amun-Re and Re-Horakhte. The statue of Ptah (god of darkness) remains in darkness all year.
Day excursions are possible from Cairo, Luxor and Aswan.
On February 22 sunlight illuminates the seated statues again.
published 31 December, 2007
Source: Angela