Abu Simbel
When you see images of Ancient Egypt in print one image is often
shown regularly—the temples known as Abu Simbel. This site is a
popular tourist attraction and remains a popular destination.
Thousands of visitors eagerly travel to see the two temples with the
four giant figures of Ramses the Great seated at the entrance (The
Great Temple of Ramses II) and the grand temple dedicated to his
favorite queen— Nefertari (Temple of Hathor/Temple of Nefertari).
Relocation of Abu Simbel
Though the temples have remained in rather good standing, the Temple
of Ramses was not built upon the site it sits today; rather it was
moved from its original location to avoid being submerged
underwater. The temple was relocated because water was needed for
the Egyptian people and the county was forced to make a difficult
choice. Rather than let the lake (Lake Nasser) swallow the temple
upon the construction of the new damn it was decided it should be
elevated roughly 200 feet and moved away from the river roughly 650
feet. Had this relocation not been funded, Lake Nasser would have
swallowed this treasure.
The Egyptian government financed the removal of the temples in 1964
for $40 million and it was cut into large blocks. The blocks were
reassembled and joined together with many engineers and
archeologists. Today, there is very little evidence of this move and
now it is safe and enjoyed by many tourists. The only lingering
evidence of relocation is seen upon entering the temple.
The Discovery of the Temples
The temple was discovered by accident. In 1813, J. L. Burckhardt
found the temple of Ramses II as he was preparing to leave the area.
He spotted the front of the temple covered in sand and he had the
rubble removed. After the temple was unearthed it soon became a high
destination site for Victorians and tourists.
Constriction of the Temples
It appears that Ramses II began construction during the fifth year
of his rule. During his reign, the temple was referred to as Hwt
Ramesses Meryamun, which literally means Temple of Ramses beloved of
Amun. Even by today’s standards the temple appears to have been
constructed very extravagantly. Ramses had four large statues
depicting him. Each statue is 67 feet high and he can be seen
wearing the double crown (The crown of Upper and Lower Egypt). Shown
to the side of each statute and on the throne are Nile gods unifying
Egypt.
The hall inside the temple is a sight to see. It contains eight
large statues of Osiris, four on each side. These large statues help
to hold this massive temple up. The walls are decorated as well.
They show the king at war during the battle of Kadesh presenting
captives as offerings to the gods. This temple was designed to
accommodate the sun. The axis was arranged in such a way that on two
days of the year the sun’s rays enter the hall and illuminate the
eight God’s of Osiris.
The other temple constructed by Ramses II for Nefertari is just as
grand. It was dedicated to her and the Goddess Hathor. This temple
is remarkable for the fact that it is one of only two temples known
in
Egyptian history constructed for a queen. Unlike the pharaohs before
Ramses II, most often a queen was shown as a smaller sized being and
not hyped like the pharaoh. In the temple dedicated to Nefertari,
she is equal in size and many Egyptologists believe this shows how
much Ramses II admired his wife and his acknowledgement of her
importance in his empire.
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