Abu Simbel: The Ultimate Must-See Temples of Ramesses II

What You Will See: A Tour of the Two Abu Simbel Temples

The complex consists of two magnificent temples. Builders carved them side-by-side.

1. The Great Temple (The Temple of Ramesses II)

This is the main event. Builders took 20 years to construct it. They finished it around 1244 BC.

Ramesses II dedicated it to himself as a god. He also dedicated it to Egypt’s three state gods: Amun-Ra, Ra-Horakhty, and Ptah.

The “Wow” Moment (The Facade)

The facade is 38 meters (125 ft) wide and 33 meters (108 ft) high. Four colossal, 20-meter (66-foot) high statues of Ramesses II guard the entrance. He sits on his throne. He wears the Double Crown of Upper and Lower Egypt.

• The Earthquake Damage: Look at the statue left of the entrance. Its head and torso fell in an ancient earthquake. During the relocation, workers placed these pieces at the statue’s feet. They sit exactly where explorers found them.
• The Smaller Statues: Look at the pharaoh’s legs. You’ll see smaller statues of his family. They include his Queen Mother Mut-Tuy, his chief wife Nefertari, his first two sons, and his first six daughters.
• The Details: Above the entrance, a relief shows Ramesses worshipping the falcon-headed god Ra-Horakhty. This creates a visual cryptogram of Ramesses’s royal name: User-Maat-Re. Above this, a frieze of 22 baboons raises their arms to worship the rising sun.

The Interior (Hypostyle Hall)

When you step inside, you enter a grand hall. It is 18m long and 16.7m wide. Eight, 10-meter (33-foot) tall statues of Ramesses II (as the god Osiris) hold up the hall.

• The statues on the left wear the White Crown of Upper Egypt. The statues on the right wear the Double Crown.
• The walls show Ramesses’s “great victory” at the Battle of Kadesh. Your guide will also point out other scenes of his victories in Libya and Nubia.

The Sanctuary (The Holy of Holies)

The temple gets smaller and darker as you go deeper. You will finally reach the inner sanctuary. This was the most sacred room. Here, four rock-cut figures sit on a bench: Ra-Horakhty, the deified Ramesses II, Amun-Ra, and Ptah.

The “Insider’s Tip”: The Greek Graffito

Your Egypt Fun Tours guide will show you a “hidden” piece of history. A famous Greek inscription (graffito) is on the left leg of the southernmost statue. Greek mercenaries left it in the 6th century BC. They wrote that they “came beyond Kerkis as far as the river permits.”

2. The Small Temple (The Temple of Nefertari)

This is the second reason Abu Simbel is so special. Just 100 meters away, Ramesses built a second, “smaller” temple. He built it for his Great Royal Wife, Queen Nefertari.

• A Monument to Love: Ramesses dedicated this temple to Hathor, the goddess of love, and to the deified queen herself. This was only the second time in Egyptian history a queen received her own temple (the first was Nefertiti).
• A Radical Statement (The Facade): The facade features six, 10-meter (33-foot) tall standing statues. Four are of Ramesses II. Two are of Queen Nefertari. This was a radical, revolutionary act. Ramesses made his queen the same height as himself. He showed the world he considered her his equal. It is a stunning tribute to his love.
• The Interior: Inside, you’ll find an intimate hall with six Hathoric pillars. Their capitals show the face of the goddess Hathor. The walls show Nefertari playing the sistrum (a sacred rattle). The sanctuary features a niche where Hathor, as a divine cow, appears to emerge from the mountain.