Abu Simbel

Egyptian · Egypt

Field notes

civilizations

Egyptian

types

Temple

built

1,274 BCE — 1,244 BCE

occupied

1,274 BCE — 600 BCE

country

Egypt

The site

Abu Simbel is a pair of massive rock-cut temples carved into a mountainside in Upper Egypt during the 13th-century BCE reign of Ramesses II. The most arresting feature is the great facade, where colossal seated figures of the pharaoh dominate, with his wife Nefertari and children rendered in smaller relief at his feet. In 1968 the entire complex was cut apart and relocated to higher ground to escape the rising waters of Lake Nasser.

Nearby sites

~228 km

Philae

~234 km

Elephantine

~273 km

Kom Ombo

~320 km

Temple of Edfu