Abu Simbel
We rose at 3 a.m. for our day trip to Abu Simbel—a true marvel of
ancient engineering and one of Egypt’s most breathtaking legacies. It
was here that Ramesses II’s colossal statues stared down at us,
eternal and unblinking. Located in the southern reaches of Egypt, just
a stone's throw from the Sudanese border, Abu Simbel graces the
western bank of Lake Nasser, about 230 km southwest of Aswan. This
incredible complex was commissioned by none other than Pharaoh
Ramesses II around 1264 BC and took a staggering 20 years to
complete!
The Great Temple, dedicated to Ramesses II himself and the mighty
gods Ra-Horakhty, Ptah, and Amun, is nothing short of awe-inspiring.
It boasts four colossal seated statues of Ramesses II, each 20 meters
tall, at its entrance—an unmatched proclamation of divine kingship
and military might that left us absolutely spellbound.
Then there’s the Small Temple, a gem dedicated to Queen Nefertari
and the goddess Hathor. This temple is particularly special, as it
portrays a queen at (nearly) the same scale as the pharaoh. This rare
distinction highlights the significant role of women in ancient Egyptian
society.
What’s even more incredible is the story of the temples' survival. In
the 1960s, they faced the threat of submersion as the Aswan High
Dam was being built. However, thanks to an extraordinary UNESCO-
led effort, these ancient treasures were meticulously cut into massive
blocks and reassembled within an artificial hill, a monumental
achievement in archaeological preservation that ensures they can be
admired for generations to come.