Abu Simbel

ancient Egypt · massive temples · rock carvings

Two Giant Temples. Abu Simbel contains two massive temples that were carved directly into the rock cliffs. The larger temple was built for Pharaoh Ramesses II, and the smaller one was built for his wife Nefertari.

Colossal Statues. The front of the main temple features four enormous seated statues of Ramesses II, each about 67 feet tall. These statues are carved right out of the mountainside and are among the largest statues in the world.

Far South Egypt. Abu Simbel is located in southern Egypt near the border with Sudan, about 140 miles southwest of the city of Aswan. It sits on the banks of Lake Nasser, a massive artificial lake created by the Aswan Dam.

Hand-Carved Wonder. Workers with simple tools carved these entire temples out of solid rock over 3,000 years ago during the reign of Ramesses II. It took about 20 years to complete the main temple.

Moved to Safety. In the 1960s, the temples were carefully cut apart and moved to higher ground to protect them from flooding caused by Lake Nasser. This massive engineering project saved these ancient treasures from being lost underwater.