The Temple of Abu Simbel, located in southern Egypt near the Nubian border, was commissioned by Pharaoh Ramses II around 1264 BC. Its location was strategic: not only did it mark Egyptian dominance over Nubia, but it also served as a political and religious statement of power, intimidating rebellious neighbors while glorifying the divine authority of the Pharaoh.
The temple had multiple purposes. It celebrated Ramses II’s victory at the Battle of Kadesh against the Hittites (1274 BC)—the largest chariot battle of the ancient world—and commemorated his tenth regnal jubilee. It was also dedicated, in part, to his beloved queen, Nefertari, highlighting her exceptional status. Few Egyptian queens were honored in such a prominent way.
Entirely carved into the sandstone cliffs, Abu Simbel replaced an older shrine dedicated to Horus. The complex consists of two temples:
The Great Temple, dedicated to Ramses II himself and the gods Amun, Ra-Horakhty, and Ptah, features a monumental façade with four colossal seated statues of the Pharaoh, each about 20 meters high. Inside, the temple aligns with the sun so that, on two specific days of the year (February 22 and October 22), sunlight illuminates the innermost sanctuary, shining on three of the four statues of the gods—leaving Ptah, the god of the underworld, in darkness.
The Small Temple, dedicated to Queen Nefertari and the goddess Hathor, displays statues of both Ramses and Nefertari of equal size, a rare depiction in Egyptian art that emphasizes her importance.
Construction took about twenty years, not ten as once believed, and was completed around 1244 BC. A later legend claims that Queen Nefertari died during the inauguration of the temple, but historical evidence suggests she likely died earlier, around 1255 BC.
Over time, shifting desert sands buried the temple almost entirely until Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt brought it to the attention of Western scholars in 1813. A dramatic rescue took place between 1964 and 1968, when UNESCO coordinated the relocation of the entire site, cutting it into massive blocks and reassembling it 65 meters higher and 200 meters back to save it from the rising waters of the Aswan High Dam. This engineering feat is still regarded as one of the greatest archaeological preservation efforts in history.
Today, Abu Simbel stands not only as a monument to Ramses II’s power but also as a symbol of global cooperation in protecting humanity’s heritage.
