Abu Simbel Temple

Here it is: The Sun Temple of Ramesses II! It is one of the most impressive temples I saw in Egypt.

Ramses II, son of king Sethi I, reigned 67 years (1290-1224 BC). He was famous for the amount of wives and children he had; more than 6 wives, and more than 100 children. You may think he didn't have time for anything else. This is not the case; he was a military strategist and a builder.

Some of the monuments constructed during his reign are: the temples of Karnak(Luxor), The Ramesseum (on the West Bank near Luxor) and the monumental temples of Abu Simbel. He also commanded his troops in many glorious battles, the most famous of them is the Battle of Kadesh against the Hittites, with whose king he signed the world's first peace treaty in 1280 BC.

 Abu Simbel, Abu Simbel Temple, Ramses II statues

In the dictionaries' entry for egotistic there should be a picture of Ramses II. This was not his only defect though, he is also one of the most megalomaniac celebrities of all times.

Officially, he dedicated this temple to the triad Amon-Ra, Ptah and Ra-Harakhte. The main purpose to erect this temple was to glorify himself, though.

Four colossal statues of the great pharaoh more than 65 feet high (20 meters high) take up almost all the space of the 108 feet high and 125 feet wide facade. Smaller size statues of his wives, sons and daughters appear beside his legs.

Abu Simbel, Abu Simbel Temple, Ramses II close up

Since the temples in Abu Simbel were discovered by J. L. Burckhardt in 1813, this town has been a main tourist destination.

Already Victorians traveled up the Nile to contemplate these temples, although most of the times they were covered in sand. Since then, millions of tourists have come here. I am sure not a single visitor has left disappointed. These statues are so amazing!

Abu Simbel, Lake Nasser

In this photo you can see the beautifulLake Nasser. It is the result of the construction of the high Dam in Aswan in 1960. This dam, which took ten years to build, formed the biggest artificial lake in the world. 35,000 workers were necessary to complete it. Lake Nasser is more than 500 miles long, and provides irrigation and electricity for the whole of Egypt!

If you have some days left, you can take one of the Lake Nasser Cruisers. These cruisers last three or four days. They visit the lake and the monuments by it. There are six of them, but the best cruisers are the "Eugene" and the "Quasar Ibrim". They are not cheap, it is the price you have to pay to have a swimming pool, a Jacuzzi and French Cuisine on board. These cruisers usually stop one night in front of the Abu Simbel Temples. Absolutely recommended.