Abu Simbel, Egypt
Abu Simbel, Egypt [Si].A pair of rock-cut temples in Lower Nubia, now overlooking the artificially created Lake Nasser 230km upriver from Aswan. Both temples were built by Ramesses II in the 13th century bc. The Great Temple is dedicated to him and has as its facade two pairs of colossal seated figures of him (each about 22m tall). The main part of the temple is cut into solid rock, 55m deep, and the main walls are decorated with reliefs showing the king's military campaigns in Syria and Nubia. The Small Temple is more modest and is dedicated to his principal queen, Neferirkare. Both temples were sawn into blocks, dismantled, moved upslope, and re-erected in their present positions in 1968 as part of the Nubian Rescue Campaign to save important archaeological sites from the rising waters of Lake Nasser.[Rep.: T. Säve-Söderbergh (ed.), 1987, Temples and tombs of ancient Nubia: the international rescue campaign at Abu Simbel, Philae, and other sites....
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