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By William Henry Goodyear, Joseph Hawkes and John McKecknie – Wikimedia

Top 15 Facts about Abu Simbel Temple

*Originally published by Lilian on May 2021 and Updated by Vanessa R on May 2023

This is not only one but two ancient rock temples in Egypt built to honour King Ramses II around 1200 BC. The temples were named after a young boy, Abu Simbel, who was the first to leaf an exhibition of the site in 1813.

These temples have been cut out of Rock cliffs near the Aswan, the bigger one was dedicated to King Ramses II while the smaller one was dedicated to his wife Queen Nefertari.

These temples were constructed to celebrate King Ramses II victory against the Hittites during the Kadish Battle in 1274 BC. Construction of the temples took two decades to complete.

Abu Simbel Temples are the second-largest man-made tourist attraction site in Egypt. The first one being the Pyramids of Giza.

The temples are found in the southern Nubian Village in Egypt. They are about 230 kilometres southwest of the Aswan close to the borders of Sudan.

They have remained to be a lasting historical monument of King Rameses and his beloved wife Queen Nefertari. The first Egyptologist, Giovanni Battista Belzoni, explored it in 1817.   

The current location of the temples is not where they were originally. Find out more about this and 15 other facts below.

1. Construction of the temples began in the 13^th century

By Than217 – Wikimedia

The construction of Abu Simbel temples started in 1274 B.C, they were completed in 1244 B.C.

The construction was to celebrate the King’s victory over the Hittites. It was also constructed to impress Egypt’s southern neighbours.

The entrance of the temples has figures of Ramses II that are 20 meters tall. There are also Small figures of Ramesses’ children, Queen Nefertari, and his mother Muttuy around the statues.

A close look at the statues will reveal graffiti inscribed on them. These are proof of the use of the Greek alphabet by the Egyptians. The bigger temple is the main temple, it belonged to King Rameses II.

2. Abu Simbel temple was dedicated to the sun gods

The Great Temple of Ramses II was also dedicated to the sun gods Amon-Re, Ptah and Re-Horakhte.

This is represented by the 4 seated colossi at the front of the temple. They were carved out of the rock before the temple was relocated because of flooding.

The statues in the temple represent Ramses II seated on a throne while wearing a double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt. The interiors of the temple are similar to other Egyptian temples.

There are many chambers inside such as the hypostyle hall that is 18 m tall and consists of eight huge pillars that depict Ramses linked to the god Osiris.

Another one is a pillared hall that consisting of four pillars decorated with beautiful scenes of sacrifices to the gods.

3. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

By Zureks – Wikimedia

It goes without saying that this is a deserving UNESCO Heritage Site. It is known as the Nubian Monuments and they stretch from Abu Simbel downriver to Philae.

These two temples were carved from a cliff in the 13^th century B.C. during the reign of King Rameses II.   

The temples are a representation of King Rameses II, Queen Nefertari and their children. Although he had other wives, only One, Queen Nefertari, had a temple dedicated to her.  

There are smaller figures around King Rameses II statue, these are the statues of his children. They are smaller in size because they were of lesser importance compared to the King.

4. Queen Nefertari was King Ramses II favourite wife

Of the two Abu Simbel Temples, the smaller one is dedicated to Queen Nefertari. She was King Rameses II principal wife and his favourite.

This is similar to other temples in Egypt that were built in this fashion.

Abu Simbel temple is the second one in Egypt to dedicate a temple to a Queen. The first time, Akhenaten dedicated a temple to his great royal wife, Nefertiti.

Queen Nefertari’s temple is known as the temple of Hathor and is 100 metres northeast of the main temple. What is more interesting is that the same Temple was dedicated to the goddess Hathor.

5. The Abu Simbel temple was relocated

By Olow & quot – Wikimedia

The original location of the two temples was at the banks of the river Nile. This was before the high dam was constructed.

Water at the banks rose significantly and posed danger to the ancient temple. The government was also considering constructing a dam at the same location.

In 1964 the two Abu Simbel Temples were carefully cut into several pieces and were moved further away from the rising water of Lake Nasser.

They were moved to a new location 200 metres back from the shoreline. This relocation process was managed by UNESCO.

It was considered to be one of the most challenging archaeological processes in history.

6. It was forgotten until the 19^th century

Architect Jean Jacquet, a UNESCO expert, looking at the survey of the Great Temple of Rameses II – Wikimedia

After the reign of the last Pharaoh of Egypt, the temples were forgotten and got covered with sand since they were not in use.

The statues were covered in sand up to their knees, the statues were more than 10 metres tall.

They were rediscovered by Jean-Louis Burckhardt, a Swiss orientalist, in 1813. He saw the visible was the top frieze of the main temple. During this time, Abu Simbel led an exhibition at the site of the temple.

Then 4 years later, Italian explorer Giovanni Belzoni was the first European to enter the temples.

7. The Abu Simbel temple has a solar alignment

By Ad Meskens – Wikimedia

The construction of these two temples has remained to be an architectural mystery. It is because of how it was aligned with the solar system.

Light from the sun goes through the temple only twice a year and this is during the planting and flooding seasons. These two seasons represent the birth and coronation of King Rameses II.   

Another archaeological mystery about this temple is the statues carved to precision such that Plah, the god of darkness, remains in complete darkness.

Archaeologists believe that the Egyptian architects were specific about the axis of the temple. They built them to let in rays of the sun to illuminate the statues on the back wall except for the god of darkness.

During the relocation of the temples in 1964, UNESCO ensured that important characteristic was as precise as the original setting.  

8. Cameras are not allowed in the temple

The carvings and artwork at the temple have seen better days. They are not only incredible but remain as they were back in the 13^th century.

There are hand-carved pillars, wall paintings, carvings, and statues among other artefacts. To preserve them for future generations, the Egyptian museum authorities do not allow cameras in there.

9. It took two decades to build the great temple

By William Henry Goodyear, Joseph Hawkes and John McKecknie – Wikimedia

The Great Temple at Abu Simbel took about twenty years to build. It was commissioned by King Ramesses II.

The temple was further dedicated to the gods Amun, Ra-Horakhty, and Ptah, as well as King Ramesses II himself.

This is one of the most decorated and most beautiful temples commissioned during the reign of Ramesses II and in Egypt.

10. Abu Simbel temple has its own airport

This is one of the most visited ancient sites in Egypt so much so it has its own airport. This is to allow a smooth transition of millions of tourists to the site.

There is also a hotel close to the temple named after Queen Nefertari. Its convenient location allows tourists to access the archaeological site easily since it is within walking distance.

11. It has two temples

, , via Wikimedia Commons

There are actually two primary temples in the Abu Simbel Temple complex. There are a few twisting passageways and apartments in the Great Temple, and there are texts there that describe Ramses II’s military triumphs. The temple is 115 feet (35 metres) long and almost 100 feet (38 metres) high. The four seated colossi at the entrance clearly mark the location of the Great Temple.

The Little Temple was also made by Ramses II for his favourite wife, Queen Nefertari. It is 150 metres apart from the Great Temple and has four enormous seated colossi of Ramses II and Queen Nefertari.

12. There’s a hotel Hotel Abu Simbel

The Nefertari Hotel Abu Simbel is thought to be the closest hotel and is ideally located very close to the temple complex. Since the hotel is within walking distance of the majority of people, visitors who want to explore the temple structures don’t even need a car.

13. Movies have been shot there

Because of its striking and iconic appearance, the Abu Simbel temples have appeared in a number of films over the years. The villain’s hideout was located inside the Great Temple in one of its most well-known appearances, the James Bond movie “The Spy Who Loved Me,”. 

In “The Prince of Egypt,” an animated film that retold the tale of Moses and the Exodus from Egypt, the temples also had a significant role. “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” and “The Mummy Returns” are only a couple of the other films that have the temples in them. Because of these features, the Abu Simbel temples are now regarded as a universally recognised representation of ancient Egypt.

14. They have the largest sculptures of human figures carved in ancient Egypt 

, , via Wikimedia Commons

A wonder of ancient Egyptian art and engineering are the statues in front of the Great Temple of Ramses II in Abu Simbel. The pharaoh is shown on his throne in these huge statues, flanked by figures of his household and the gods.

Each statue is the greatest representation of a human being ever carved in ancient Egypt, standing an astonishing 20 metres tall. In addition to reinforcing the pharaoh’s heavenly position as a strong and unbeatable ruler, the statues were meant to impress and frighten temple visitors.

15. They have thousands of tourists from all over the world

Each year, thousands of tourists from all over the world visit Egypt to see the Abu Simbel temples, which are a top tourist destination. Visitors flock to the temples to see the magnificent statues and carvings, which include the imposing statues of Ramses II, as well as the intricate hieroglyphics and depictions of ancient Egyptian life.

The temples’ interiors can be explored, the accuracy of the astronomical alignments can be seen, and knowledgeable guides can teach visitors about the location’s significance and history.