National Geographic History - July 2019

22 JULY/AUGUST 2019

In the lap of one of the statues of

Ramses flanking the temple entrance,

a group of laborers use handsaws to

cut the colossus into blocks.

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CUT WITH CARE
Employing special
saws, a stonecutter
(above) makes a
precise incision
on the exterior of
a temple of Abu
Simbel. Blocks cut
from less visible
parts of the temple
were made by gas-
powered saws.

Beginning in 1964, an army of laborers began

clearing tons of rock from above and around

the two temples. Steel props were erected to

support the edifice during the removal. The

façades were covered by ramps of sand to

protect them against damage. Once that had

been carried out, the more delicate operation

of cutting the hypogea—the chambers embed-

ded in the cliff—could begin. Expert marmisti

(marble workers) from northern Italy were

employed to cut the blocks, which were not

to exceed 20 tons for walls and ceilings and

30 tons for the façade. The contract specified

that the cuts had to be no more than a quar-

ter of an inch wide, but the marmistis’ skill at

making finer cuts, especially in the decorative

elements, was essential in maintaining the in-

tegrity of the sculptures. Once cut, the blocks

were labeled with a code that indicated their

original position, placed in reinforced concrete

crates, and then stored.

STRENGTH

AND

PRECISION

GEORG GERSTER/NGS