17.1 C
New York

Visiting Abu Simbel- My Day Journey to See the Abu Simbel Temples

AfricaArchaeological SitesEgypt

Published:

Reading time: 14 min.

Purchases made by means of hyperlinks earn us a small fee, at no additional price to you.

Visiting Abu Simbel was one of many issues I used to be most wanting ahead to throughout my first trip to Egypt. The 2 well-known rock-cut temples carved right into a mountainside, commissioned by Ramesses the Nice throughout his reign as pharaoh, are among the many most stunning temples in Egypt.

The Abu Simbel temples carved into a mountainside.The Abu Simbel temples carved into a mountainside.

Exploring the Abu Simbel Temples was a captivating delight, from gazing up on the colossal statues on the grand facades to discovering historical tales portrayed in reliefs on the partitions. It’s not a spot to hurry by means of, so I’m glad I visited with a non-public information and never a giant tour group.

Facade of the Great Temple of Abu Simbel.Facade of the Great Temple of Abu Simbel.
The Nice Temple of Ramesses II

Right here’s a have a look at my Abu Simbel day journey from Aswan, together with descriptions of the temples, my highlights, and ideas for visiting. Earlier than that, I’ll share a bit concerning the historical past of Abu Simbel and why it’s such a major web site.

Facade of the Temple of Hathor and Nefertari at Abu Simbel.Facade of the Temple of Hathor and Nefertari at Abu Simbel.
Temple of Hathor and Nefertari

About Abu Simbel

The Abu Simbel temple complicated dates again to round 1264 BC, when King Ramesses II (also referred to as Ramesses the Nice) was having temples constructed within the Nubia area as a part of his formidable constructing program. 

Temple of Ramesses II carved into the mountainside. Temple of Ramesses II carved into the mountainside.

At Abu Simbel, two spectacular temples have been carved out of the mountainside. The most important one, often known as the Nice Temple, was devoted to Ramesses II himself, together with the gods Amun, Ra-Horakhty, and Ptah. The smaller temple was devoted to his first spouse, Queen Nefertari, and the goddess Hathor, therefore the identify Temple of Hathor and Nefertari (additionally known as the Small Temple).

Rock cut temples of Abu Simbel.Rock cut temples of Abu Simbel.

As time handed, the Abu Simbel temples have been uncared for and have become lined by sand. In 1813, the temples have been rediscovered by Swiss traveller and researcher Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, who additionally rediscovered the traditional rock-cut metropolis of Petra in Jordan. He instructed Italian explorer Giovanni Belzoni about his discovery and in 1817, Belzoni travelled to Abu Simbel to excavate the temples.

Broken statue pieces on the ground in front of the Great Temple.Broken statue pieces on the ground in front of the Great Temple.

In 1959, when plans to construct the Aswan Excessive Dam throughout the Nile threatened to submerge the Abu Simbel temples, a marketing campaign to avoid wasting them was began. It was determined to maneuver the temples 200 m/656 ft to the northwest and 65 m/213 ft larger than their authentic location.

Temple of Hathor and Nefertari at Abu Simbel.Temple of Hathor and Nefertari at Abu Simbel.

From 1964 to 1968, UNESCO led a world workforce of engineers, archaeologists, and heavy tools operators to dismantle and relocate the temples. The temples have been minimize into roughly 1042 giant blocks, lifted to the brand new web site, and reassembled in a synthetic mountain. Each temples have been constructed underneath a concrete dome lined with sand and rocks to appear like the pure cliffs wherein they have been initially carved. 

Facade of the Great Temple of Ramesses II at Abu Simbel.Facade of the Great Temple of Ramesses II at Abu Simbel.

The Abu Simbel temples have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 underneath the identify Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae. It’s now a high vacationer web site welcoming a whole bunch of holiday makers every day.

Tourists in front of the Great Temple.Tourists in front of the Great Temple.

Visiting the Abu Simbel Temples- My Expertise

My Abu Simbel day journey from Aswan began when my information picked me up at 4:00 am in order that we might arrive shortly earlier than the positioning opened. For security causes, there’s a checkpoint on the freeway leaving Aswan the place international vacationers should assemble to allow them to journey in a convoy whereas it’s darkish. We waited about half-hour earlier than the highway was opened to us and an extended line of vacationer buses.

Relief of Ramesses II on a chariot.Relief of Ramesses II on a chariot.
Reduction of Ramesses II on a chariot contained in the Nice Temple.

After arriving at Abu Simbel, I purchased my entrance ticket then hurried down the trail alongside Lake Nasser in the direction of the temple complicated, which was out of view.

Turning the nook, my first glimpse of the Nice Temple was a facet view of the facade and its 4 colossal statues of Ramesses II carved into the rock. It felt surreal to see the temple in actual life, after admiring it in images for thus lengthy, and I couldn’t comprise my pleasure to discover it earlier than busloads of individuals arrived.

Rock statues on the facade of the Temple of Ramesses II.Rock statues on the facade of the Temple of Ramesses II.

I took my time visiting the rooms inside Abu Simbel’s Nice Temple, then walked over to the Small Temple to see what it was like. I ended my day journey to Abu Simbel by taking a look at some shows within the customer centre.

Relief on the wall inside the Great Temple at Abu Simbel.Relief on the wall inside the Great Temple at Abu Simbel.
Reduction contained in the Nice Temple

Temple of Ramesses II- The Nice Temple at Abu Simbel

The doorway to the Nice Temple at Abu Simbel is flanked by two pairs of statues of Pharaoh Ramesses II sitting on a throne. Most hanging is the scale of the statues, at 20 m/66 ft tall, however solely three of them are intact. One of many statues was broken throughout an earthquake, and its damaged head and torso have been left mendacity on the bottom as a substitute of being restored. 

Looking up at the facade of the Great Temple.Looking up at the facade of the Great Temple.
Two seated statues of Ramesses the Great- one is intact and one is missing the upper body.Two seated statues of Ramesses the Great- one is intact and one is missing the upper body.
Head of the broken statue on the ground in front of the temple.Head of the broken statue on the ground in front of the temple.

On the toes of the statues are smaller sculptures of Ramesses’ household, together with his spouse Queen Nefertari, his mom Queen Tuya, his first two sons, and his first six daughters.  

Looking up at two colossi of Ramesses the Great and the small statues at their feet.Looking up at two colossi of Ramesses the Great and the small statues at their feet.
Small statue of a female figure at the feet of Ramesses the Great.Small statue of a female figure at the feet of Ramesses the Great.
Looking up at two colossi of Ramesses the Great and the small statues at their feet.Looking up at two colossi of Ramesses the Great and the small statues at their feet.

The bottom of the thrones are embellished with hieroglyphs and cartouches on the entrance and reliefs of enemies of Ramesses II on the facet. On a decrease platform in entrance of the thrones are a number of extra small stone statues. 

Statues on the facade of the Great Temple at Abu Simbel.Statues on the facade of the Great Temple at Abu Simbel.
Statue of Ramesses II and hieroglyphs on the facade of the Great Temple.Statue of Ramesses II and hieroglyphs on the facade of the Great Temple.
Statues and hieroglyphs on the facade of the Great Temple of Ramesses II.Statues and hieroglyphs on the facade of the Great Temple of Ramesses II.

In a distinct segment above the doorway is a sculpted picture of Ra Horakhty, the falcon-headed solar god. On all sides are reliefs displaying Ramesses II worshipping Ra.

Exterior of the Temple of Ramesses II at Abu Simbel.Exterior of the Temple of Ramesses II at Abu Simbel.
Statues of Ramesses II on the Great Temple.Statues of Ramesses II on the Great Temple.

On the very high of the facade is a broken frieze depicting a row of twenty-two baboons with upraised arms as if they’re worshipping the solar. Baboons have been revered by historical Egyptians and related to the god Thoth, so I noticed them portrayed in a number of of the tombs and temples I visited.

Facade of the Great Temple of Ramesses II.Facade of the Great Temple of Ramesses II.

After admiring and photographing the facade, I eagerly headed contained in the Nice Temple of Ramesses II, curious to see what creative treasures it held.

Me in front of the Great Temple.Me in front of the Great Temple.

I wasn’t positive what to anticipate inside Abu Simbel’s Nice Temple, nevertheless it wowed me simply as a lot as the skin. There have been statues, relief-covered partitions, and extra rooms than I anticipated, with two halls, a sanctuary, and 6 facet chambers (a singular format for Egyptian temples). 

Statue of Ramesses II inside the Great Temple.Statue of Ramesses II inside the Great Temple.
Relief of Ramesses II on the temple wall.Relief of Ramesses II on the temple wall.
Reduction of Ramesses II within the hypostyle corridor of the Nice Temple.

Upon coming into the hypostyle corridor, I used to be met with eight tall pillar statues depicting Ramesses II as Osiris, god of the afterlife and resurrection (amongst different issues). The statues on the left put on the white crown (hedjet) of Higher Egypt and the statues on the appropriate bear the double crown (pschent) of Higher and Decrease Egypt. The figures have their arms crossed to indicate the facility of kingship.

Statues of Ramesses II lining the hypostyle hall inside the Great Temple at Abu Simbel.Statues of Ramesses II lining the hypostyle hall inside the Great Temple at Abu Simbel.
Statues of Ramesses II inside the Great Temple at Abu SImbel.Statues of Ramesses II inside the Great Temple at Abu SImbel.
Statues of Ramesses II in the hypostyle hall of the Great Temple.Statues of Ramesses II in the hypostyle hall of the Great Temple.

For me, probably the most spectacular factor concerning the hypostyle corridor’s statues was their dimension. Individuals regarded so small standing subsequent to them- I solely got here as much as the knees!

Tourists in the hypostyle hall of the Great Temple.Tourists in the hypostyle hall of the Great Temple.

The hypostyle corridor additionally has a number of eye-catching reliefs overlaying the partitions. They present battle scenes from the army campaigns Ramesses II waged, together with the Battle of Kadesh and conquests in Libya and Nubia. The reliefs I discovered most fascinating have been one displaying the king on a chariot capturing arrows at a fortress, one in all him killing a Libyan enemy, and two of the king hanging his Nubian and Libyan enemies.

Relief of Ramesses II shooting an arrow from a chariot.Relief of Ramesses II shooting an arrow from a chariot.
Relief inside the Great Temple at Abu Simbel of Ramesses II killing a Libyan enemy.Relief inside the Great Temple at Abu Simbel of Ramesses II killing a Libyan enemy.
Relief of Ramesses II striking his enemies.Relief of Ramesses II striking his enemies.

The hypostyle corridor is the biggest room within the Nice Temple of Ramesses II, at 18 m/59 ft lengthy and 16.7 m/55 ft extensive. As is typical of Egyptian temples, the rooms lower in dimension from the doorway. 

Statues of Ramesses II lining the hypostyle hall.Statues of Ramesses II lining the hypostyle hall.

Past the hypostyle corridor is a smaller pillared corridor with scenes of Ramesses and Nefertari worshiping ceremonial boats used to hold statues of the gods. This corridor results in a sanctuary on the finish of the temple. 

Sanctuary inside the Great Temple at Abu Simbel.Sanctuary inside the Great Temple at Abu Simbel.

The sanctuary homes 4 rock-cut sculptures of, from left to proper, Ptah (the creator god), Amun-Ra (a fusion of Amun, king of the gods, and Ra, the solar god ), a deified Ramesses II, and Ra-Horakhty. It’s believed that the temple was positioned so the solar’s rays would illuminate the sanctuary statues on February 22 and October 22, allegedly Ramesses II’s coronation day and birthday, respectively (there isn’t a proof to help this, however the dates will need to have been important for some purpose).

Sculptures in the sanctuary of the Great Temple of Ramesses II at Abu Simbel.Sculptures in the sanctuary of the Great Temple of Ramesses II at Abu Simbel.

After exploring the temple’s central rooms, I visited the six facet chambers accessible from the hypostyle corridor. These slender, rectangular rooms have reliefs on the partitions depicting scenes of choices to the gods. 

Side chamber inside the temple.Side chamber inside the temple.
Relief inside the Great Temple of an offering to Amun.Relief inside the Great Temple of an offering to Amun.
Providing to Amun
Relief of an offering to Thoth. Relief of an offering to Thoth.
Providing to Thoth

As I regarded round these rooms, it was enjoyable to problem myself to see which gods I may determine. Ra regularly appeared. I additionally seen Hathor, Horus, Amun, Thoth, Ptah, and Anubis.

Relief of the god Ra.Relief of the god Ra.
Ra
Relief of Horus.Relief of Horus.
Horus
Relief of Hathor and AMun.Relief of Hathor and AMun.
Hathor and Amun

One of many facet chambers has a number of empty niches carved into the wall with cartouches adorning the house between them. One other chamber has one plain wall, the one unadorned wall within the temple.

Doorway to a side chamber inside the Great Temple at Abu Simbel.Doorway to a side chamber inside the Great Temple at Abu Simbel.
Hieroglyphs and cartouches around two niches in the wall. Hieroglyphs and cartouches around two niches in the wall.

After visiting all of the rooms inside Abu Simbel’s Nice Temple, I walked over to the neighbouring Temple of Hathor and Nefertari to see what it regarded like.

Relief inside the Great Temple at Abu Simbel.Relief inside the Great Temple at Abu Simbel.

Temple of Hathor and Nefertari- The Small Temple at Abu Simbel

The rock-cut facade of the Temple of Hathor and Nefertari options six colossal statues of Ramesses II and his queen, Nefertari. It’s uncommon in Egyptian artwork for a queen’s statues to be the identical dimension because the king’s, however on this temple all of them measure about 10 m/33 ft excessive.

Facade of the Temple of Hathor and Nefertari (the Small Temple at Abu Simbel)Facade of the Temple of Hathor and Nefertari (the Small Temple at Abu Simbel)

On all sides of the doorway is one statue of Nefertari framed by two of the king. On the statues closest to the doorway, the king is carrying the white crown of Higher Egypt on one facet and the double crown on the opposite. On the toes of the colossi are small statues of the little kids of the royal couple.

Statues on the facade of the Temple of Hathor and Nefertari at Abu Simbel.Statues on the facade of the Temple of Hathor and Nefertari at Abu Simbel.

The remainder of the facade is embellished with hieroglyphs and cartouches, so there’s much less clean house than on the Nice Temple.

Statues on the facade of the Small Temple at Abu Simbel.Statues on the facade of the Small Temple at Abu Simbel.

My first impression of the inside of Nefertari Temple was that it was comparable, however easier, than the Nice Temple. The hypostyle corridor has six pillars, however as a substitute of statues, the capitals bear the face of Hathor, goddess of affection, magnificence, fertility, and music.

Pillar with the face of Hathor.Pillar with the face of Hathor.
Pillar with the face of Hathor inside the Small Temple at Abu Simbel.Pillar with the face of Hathor inside the Small Temple at Abu Simbel.

The corridor’s pillars even have reliefs of the queen taking part in the sistrum (an instrument like a rattle) and of a number of completely different gods. 

Pillar with a relief of Nefertari playing a sistrum.Pillar with a relief of Nefertari playing a sistrum.
Pillar with a relief of Nefertari playing a sistrum.Pillar with a relief of Nefertari playing a sistrum.
Pillars with reliefs of gods.Pillars with reliefs of gods.

Like within the Nice Temple, the partitions within the hypostyle corridor present scenes of Ramesses II hanging his enemies, however right here the queen appears on. There are additionally scenes of the queen making choices to the goddesses Hathor and Mut, in addition to the deification of the king by the gods Horus and Set.

Relief of Ramesses II striking his enemies as Nefertari looks on.Relief of Ramesses II striking his enemies as Nefertari looks on.
Relief inside the Temple of Hathor and Nefertari at Abu Simbel. Relief inside the Temple of Hathor and Nefertari at Abu Simbel.
Relief of Hathor on the wall.Relief of Hathor on the wall.
Hathor

On the finish of the hypostyle corridor are three doorways giving entry to a relief-decorated vestibule and the temple’s sanctuary. The again wall of the sanctuary has a distinct segment with a rock-cut sculpture of Hathor as a divine cow, however I initially didn’t know what it was as a result of it’s not in nice situation.

Sanctuary inside the Temple of Hathor and Nefertari.Sanctuary inside the Temple of Hathor and Nefertari.

Customer Centre at Abu Simbel

After visiting the Abu Simbel temples, I walked the highway to the again facet of the mountain and returned to the customer centre on the entrance. 

A model of the Great Temple in the visitor centre at Abu Simbel.A model of the Great Temple in the visitor centre at Abu Simbel.
A mannequin within the customer centre

The small, easy customer centre was a superb place to study extra about Abu Simbel, particularly how the temples have been salvaged from their authentic location and reconstructed on larger floor. I loved seeing the outdated images documenting the method of dismantling, shifting, and re-erecting the temples at their present location. When wanting on the footage of Abu Simbel, it was onerous to inform the distinction between the unique web site and the brand new one. What a formidable challenge that was so properly executed!

Display showing the original and current sites of the Abu Simbel temples.Display showing the original and current sites of the Abu Simbel temples.
Show displaying the unique and present websites of the temples.

Last Ideas In regards to the Abu Simbel Temples

Visiting Abu Simbel was one in all my favorite experiences throughout my two weeks in Egypt. There was a lot to be fascinated by, from the structure and artwork to the historical past and trendy relocation of the temples.   

Relief on the wall.Relief on the wall.
Reduction contained in the Nice Temple
Relief on the wall inside the Small Temple at Abu Simbel.Relief on the wall inside the Small Temple at Abu Simbel.
Reduction contained in the Small Temple

What impressed me most was the colossal statues on the facades of each temples. I’ll all the time bear in mind the awe and pleasure I felt strolling as much as these big sculptures of Egyptian royalty earlier than coming into the temples of Abu Simbel. Ramesses II positive wasn’t humble! 

Facade of the Temple of Ramesses II.Facade of the Temple of Ramesses II.

Whereas the facades of the Nice Temple of Ramesses II and the Temple of Nefertari have been stunning, the interiors have been simply as memorable. I liked the reliefs adorning the partitions and pillars, and the tales they instructed. There was a lot symbolism to take a look at! The towering statues within the Nice Temple’s hypostyle corridor have been magnificent as properly.

Relief inside the Great Temple.Relief inside the Great Temple.
Reduction contained in the Nice Temple
Statue of Ramesses II in the hypostyle hall of the Great Temple.Statue of Ramesses II in the hypostyle hall of the Great Temple.
Hypostyle corridor of the Nice Temple

I’m grateful I arrived at Abu Simbel early within the morning so I may get pleasure from it for some time with out the crowds. It was positively price leaving Aswan at 4:00 am to be one of many first folks to go to the temple that day. Although I spent nearly 3 hours visiting Abu Simbel, I nonetheless didn’t need to go away. I’d love to return at some point for a re-evaluation and to see the Abu Simbel sound and lightweight present.

Exterior of the Great Temple.Exterior of the Great Temple.

If the virtually 300 km drive from Aswan has you questioning, is Abu Simbel price visiting? I’d emphatically reply sure, the temples at Abu Simbel are definitely worth the journey. The time it takes to get to Abu Simbel is a worthwhile funding to see some of the distinctive and fascinating temples in Egypt. 

Me in front of the Great Temple.Me in front of the Great Temple.

Footage of Abu Simbel

Listed below are just a few extra footage of Abu Simbel I took throughout my go to.

Colossi of Ramesses II on the facade of the Great Temple.Colossi of Ramesses II on the facade of the Great Temple.
Colossi of Ramesses II.Colossi of Ramesses II.
Colossi of Ramesses II.Colossi of Ramesses II.
Colossi of Ramesses II.Colossi of Ramesses II.
Facade of the Great Temple.Facade of the Great Temple.
Broken statue pieces in front of the temple.Broken statue pieces in front of the temple.
Broken statue pieces in front of the temple.Broken statue pieces in front of the temple.
Looking up at the Great Temple.Looking up at the Great Temple.
Colossi of Ramesses II on the Great Temple at Abu Simbel.Colossi of Ramesses II on the Great Temple at Abu Simbel.
Statues of Ramesses II inside the Great Temple.Statues of Ramesses II inside the Great Temple.
Hypostyle corridor contained in the Nice Temple
Statues of Ramesses II in the hypostyle hall.Statues of Ramesses II in the hypostyle hall.
Pillar decorated with reliefs.Pillar decorated with reliefs.
Reliefs on a pillar contained in the Nice Temple
Statue of Ramesses the Great in the hypostyle hall.Statue of Ramesses the Great in the hypostyle hall.
Relief of Ramesses II.Relief of Ramesses II.
Reduction of Ramesses II and the Battle of Kadesh within the hypostyle corridor of the Nice Temple.
Relief on the wall.Relief on the wall.
Side chamber.Side chamber.
A facet chamber within the Nice Temple
Reliefs on the wall of a side chamber.Reliefs on the wall of a side chamber.
Adorned wall in a facet chamber of the Nice Temple
Relief of Hathor.Relief of Hathor.
Hathor
Relief on wall.Relief on wall.
Relief on the wall.Relief on the wall.
Reliefs in a facet chamber
Relief on the wall.Relief on the wall.
Relief on the wall.Relief on the wall.
Cartouches on the wall.Cartouches on the wall.
Cartouches within the Nice Temple
Relief on the wall.Relief on the wall.
Extra reliefs within the facet chambers of the Nice Temple
Relief on the wall.Relief on the wall.
Relief on the wall.Relief on the wall.
Exterior of the Temple of Hathor and Nefertari at Abu Simbel.Exterior of the Temple of Hathor and Nefertari at Abu Simbel.
Temple of Hathor and Nefertari
Hypostyle hall inside the Temple of Hathor and Nefertari. Hypostyle hall inside the Temple of Hathor and Nefertari.
Hypostyle corridor within the Temple of Hathor and Nefertari
Decorated pillars inside the Small Temple.Decorated pillars inside the Small Temple.
Adorned pillars within the Temple of Hathor and Nefertari
The two Abu Simbel temples carved into the mountainside.The two Abu Simbel temples carved into the mountainside.
The Abu Simbel temples

Suggestions for Visiting Abu Simbel 

Location: The Abu Simbel temple complicated is positioned on the financial institution of Lake Nasser within the village of Abu Simbel. The positioning is 283 km from central Aswan.

Getting There: Abu Simbel could be reached by highway or airplane from Aswan. 

  • If going by car, hiring a driver or occurring an organized group tour is best, however you would additionally take the bus. The drive to Abu Simbel from Aswan takes about 3.5 hours, however enable as much as 4 hours with relaxation stops and checkpoints. For security on the highway to Abu Simbel, it’s required that vacationer automobiles have two out there drivers and that they wait on the checkpoint exterior Aswan within the morning to kind a convoy. My information instructed me that the highway leaving Abu Simbel closes at a sure time (3:00 pm in January) and that automobiles don’t have to convoy again to Aswan if it’s not darkish.

Greatest Time to Go to: Most individuals go to Abu Simbel on a day journey from Aswan, leaving actually early within the morning. I visited in January, and in my expertise, there have been lots of people at 9:00 am (an hour after the temple opened), nevertheless it obtained much less busy at 10:00 am when tour teams have been already leaving. I used to be pleased arriving at opening time, however later within the afternoon may not be too crowded due to the warmth.

Opening Hours and Tickets: Present opening hours and ticket costs could be discovered here.

Facilities: On the entrance, there’s a customer centre with some informative shows, a really overpriced cafe, and a few memento stalls. I like to recommend bringing your individual drinks and snacks for the day.

Data was appropriate on the time of publishing, however can change with out discover. Please affirm straight with service suppliers.

Statues of Ramesses II on the facade of the Great Temple.Statues of Ramesses II on the facade of the Great Temple.

Excursions to Abu Simbel

A handy solution to go to Abu Simbel is by reserving a package deal deal from a tour operator or non-public information that features transportation from Aswan, lodge choose up and drop off, admission tickets, and a guided tour of the temples. Here’s a trusted web site the place you possibly can book a day trip to Abu Simbel.

Lodging in Aswan

On your comfort, here’s a checklist of hotels in Aswan and Abu Simbel. Please take into account reserving your Aswan or Abu Simbel lodging by means of the included hyperlink. It prices nothing additional and helps help this web site. Thanks!

Relief on a wall.Relief on a wall.

Extra Egypt Locations and Journey Guides

admin
adminhttps://aguadafort.com

Related articles

Recent articles

Premium Content

© Newspaper WordPress Theme by TagDiv