What is one reason the temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel is significant?

It was dedicated to the gods Amun, Ra-Horakhty, and Ptah, as well as to the deified Ramesses himself. It is generally considered the grandest and most beautiful of the temples commissioned during the reign of Ramesses II, and one of the most beautiful in Egypt.

Which pharaoh ordered the construction of the Abu Simbel?

Ramses II wanted there to be absolutely no question which pharaoh had built the magnificent temple at Abu Simbel. At its entrance, four 60-plus-foot-tall seated statues of him serve as sentries. Dedicated to the sun gods, the temple extends 185 feet into its cliff via a series of three towering halls.

Who discovered the temple of Abu Simbel?

Johann Ludwig Burckhardt
Carved out of a sandstone cliff on the west bank of the Nile, south of Korosko (modern Kuruskū), the temples were unknown to the outside world until their rediscovery in 1813 by the Swiss researcher Johann Ludwig Burckhardt. They were first explored in 1817 by the early Egyptologist Giovanni Battista Belzoni.

Why was the temple at Abu Simbel built?

Ramses built the Temple at Abu Simbel in Egypt to intimidate his enemies and seat himself amongst the gods.

How long is the flight from Aswan to Abu Simbel?

about 45 minutes
It takes about 45 minutes to fly from Aswan (ASW) to Abu Simbel (ABS).

What was the purpose of the Abu Simbel temples?

The twin temples were originally carved out of the mountainside in the 13th century BC, during the 19th Dynasty reign of the Pharaoh Ramesses II. They serve as a lasting monument to the king Ramesses II.

Why was Ramses the great statue moved to Abu Simbel?

The statue of Ramses the Great at the Great Temple of Abu Simbel is reassembled after having been moved in 1967 to save it from flooding. The collapsed colossus of the Great Temple supposedly fell during an earthquake shortly after its construction. On moving the temple, it was decided to leave it as the face is missing.

Where was the Abu Simbel dam originally located?

The complex was relocated in its entirety in 1968 under the supervision of a Polish archaeologist, Kazimierz Michałowski, from the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology University of Warsaw, on an artificial hill made from a domed structure, high above the Aswan High Dam reservoir.

Why are the rock relief figures at Abu Simbel important?

They serve as a lasting monument to the king and his queen Nefertari, and commemorate his victory at the Battle of Kadesh. Their huge external rock relief figures have become iconic.