The many fascinating stories of the Egyptian kings have always attracted people to this wonderland. 

Among the many historic sites, one that you can’t afford to miss is the Abu Simbel Temple. The village of Abu Simbel has two of the biggest temples of a single pharaoh in Egyptian history – King Ramses II and his beloved wife, Queen Nefertari.

Long before we landed in Egypt, we were sure we had to visit this place. 

How the journey unfolded:

We started our trip to the Abu Simbel Temples from Aswan. It takes close to four-five hours (one side) to reach the place, so the earlier you start, the better. We went on a guided group tour, and our bus came to pick up at 4 AM. We had packed our breakfast from our cruise (yes, we were staying on a cruise, but more on this later!) and boarded the bus. 

It was a long ride, so we thought to catch up on some sleep before we reached our destination. But if you want to enjoy the sunrise, you will love the view from the bus as it crosses the city limit and you find deserts on both sides. It’s a nice and smooth road ( I hardly found any potholes there!); however, there’s no such speed limit or traffic rules. Anyway, after a long drive, we finally arrived at our destination. It’s a couple of minutes walk uphill, and you can enjoy the magnificent view of Lake Nasser on your way up to the temple. You can also see the Sudan border from there.

The first view was startling. 

Upon arrival, we were awestruck by the magnificent view of the large rock-cut temple in front of us, with four colossal statues of Ramses II on its facade. While three of the statues are almost intact, one has been damaged. It also has engravings of his favorite children and queen Nefertari below his feet.

The first view of the temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel

As we walked inside the temple, we could see large pillars with beautiful carvings of the king and scenes from the war of Kadesh.

Beautiful carvings inside the temple

As we entered the temple, we discovered the four rock-cut sculptures of God Ra, Amun, Ptah, and Ramses II. Here, our guide told us about a unique phenomenon that happens twice every year. 

On February 22 and October 22, the first rays of sunlight enter the temple and illuminate the statue of Ramses II. These two are the two important dates of his life — his coronation day and birthday. 

RamsesII with God Amun, Ra, and Ptah

Wondering about the astrophysics and mathematics knowledge of the ancient Egyptians, we came out to visit the smaller and the second temple here of Queen Nefertari.

The temple of Nefertari

Although Ramses had many wives, Nefertari was the only one who received the title of the Queen. History says that the Queen had a lot of power and influence over the king and the kingdom. She was also the favorite of the pharao, and hence, a temple for her is dedicated to Goddess Hathor.

The relocation of the temple

After witnessing the grandeur of the temple, our guide revealed that the original temple was located a few meters away from the current place. The template was relocated to save it from the water of the river Nile when the Aswan dam was built. 

The relocation process was elaborate and painstakingly difficult. The rocks were cut piece by piece and then joined back piece by piece just as you solved a puzzle. We also saw some of the photographs of the relocation process. 

Overall, Abu Simbel is 5/5, and you can’t miss it while in Egypt. 

Some details to help you plan better:

• Start early as Abu Simbel is almost 300 kilometers from Aswan, which will take around 5 hours to reach. 

• Abu Simbel is close to the Sudan border, so it’s better to go on a group trip whether you book it from India or with any tour agent in Cairo. 

• Buy and carry water bottles from local marts as they cost more in touristy places.

• Don’t forget to carry your packed breakfast from the hotel, or you’ll be famished. No restaurants or stores are on the way as the road passes through the desert. 

• Ensure you have a guide, or you will miss the interesting stories and histories. Most tour companies and guided tours offer guide services. It’s better to go with them, or you need to haggle a lot. 

Don’t forget to notice the little detailings and the stories they are trying to say. 

For any further queries, please reach out to holidays@lykke.travel

Credits:

Blog post is written by: Chayanika Sen