Aswan & Nubia
Abu Simbel
أبو سمبل
Rock temples of Ramesses II and Nefertari, moved above the rising waters of Lake Nasser.
Ramesses II carved two temples into the sandstone cliffs at Abu Simbel, far to the south near the Sudanese border: the Great Temple with its four seated colossi of the king, and the smaller temple of Queen Nefertari and the goddess Hathor. In the 1960s both were cut into blocks and moved to higher ground to escape Lake Nasser, an operation at the heart of UNESCO's Nubia campaign.
Part of the UNESCO World Heritage property “Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae”
Highlights
- The four colossi of Ramesses II
- The temple of Nefertari
- The sun festivals in February and October, when sunlight reaches the inner sanctuary
Good to know
- Reached by road or air from Aswan.
Ways to experience it:Historical & archaeologicalNile cruises & dahabiyas
- Suggested visit
- 1 day
- Coordinates
- 22.3372°N, 31.6258°E (approximate)
- Status
- Editorial draft · unverified
- Sources
- UNESCO World Heritage List — Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae
- Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities — monuments portal
- Wikidata — Abu Simbel (Q134140)
Opening hours, ticket prices and access rules are not shown. They will be added only after confirmation with the responsible authority.
