The Great Temple of Ramesses II at Abu Simbel

ABU SIMBEL
The monuments at Abu Simbel were practically unknown until Johann Ludwig Burckhardt visited this beautiful place in 1813. The upper part of the temple facade was almost entirely covered by sand. Giovanni Battista Belzoni visited the site soon after, in 1817, and discovered the entrance doorway to Abu Simbel. From that moment many people sought out the gigantic statues of the king, carved into the upper part of the rock by Ramesses II about 3,000 years ago.

The Great Temple of Ramesses II
The facade of the temple of Ramesses II is dominated by four enormous carved statues, each 20 metres high, representing King Ramesses II. The faces of the statues seem to show Ramesses at different stages of his life, although it is thought the temple was built quite early in his reign. The statues of Ramesses II are immense, especially when you stand beneath them and look up.

The mother of Ramesses II, Tuya, his wife Nefertari and some of his many children are shown on a smaller scale at the feet of the King. The monument is dedicated to the gods Re-Horakhty, Amun and Ptah, as well as to the divine Ramesses. The decoration of the Great Temple of Ramesses II at Abu Simbel serves to glorify the divine pharaoh Ramesses, who is adored and presented with offerings before his divine image. The monument was meant to keep the unruly Nubian population in line, demonstrating to them the power of their great ruler of Egypt.