Abu Simbel - Definition and Overview

Ramses II, Abu Simbel

The archaeological complex of Abu Simbel comprises two massive rock temples in southern Egypt on the western bank of the Nile. It is a part of the Nubian Monuments UNESCO World Heritage Site, which runs from Abu Simbel downriver as far as Philae.

The twin temples were carved out of the mountainside by Pharaoh Ramses II in the 13th century BC to intimidate his Nubian neighbors and as a lasting monument to himself and his queen Nefertari, commemorating his alleged victory at the Battle of Kadesh.

Relocation

Between 1964 and 1968, the entire site was dismantled and reassembled in a new location – 65 m higher and 200 m back from the river – to save the temples from the rising water levels caused by the construction of the Aswan High Dam.

Model showing the relative positions of the Abu Simbel temples before and after relocation