Abu Simbel Temples

Abu Simbel Temples (Arabic: أبو سنبل‎ or أبو سمبل‎), located 290 kilometers south of Aswan, Egypt, were built between 1300 and 1233 BC. It is said that the name comes from the guide (a little boy) who first took Westerners to the site. Situated on the west bank of Lake Nasser, it consists of a pylon gate carved into the cliff, giant rock-cut statues of Ramses II, hypostyle halls, and sanctuaries. Together with many other relics downstream to Philae Island, Abu Simbel is part of the Nubian Monuments, designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. In 1966, due to the construction of the Aswan High Dam, the entire temple complex was relocated to a higher ground, more than 60 meters above the original riverbed, marking a successful attempt in the preservation of world heritage architecture.