Ancient site · Temple
Abu Simbel temples
Two temples cut into a sandstone cliff in Nubia, in the far south of Egypt, by Ramesses II in the 13th century BCE. Four colossal seated statues of the king guard the Great Temple, while the smaller temple honours Queen Nefertari; reliefs inside celebrate his battle of Kadesh.
In the 1960s an international campaign cut both temples into blocks and moved them uphill, away from the rising waters of Lake Nasser.
- Dates
- c. 1264–1244 BCE
- Still standing
- Yes
- UNESCO World Heritage
- Yes
- Location
- 22.34° N, 31.63° E
How we know
Inscriptions carved in the temples name Ramesses II and his queen Nefertari.
Nearby sites
- Nabta Playa c. 7500–3500 BCE; stone circle 5th millennium BCE
- Hierakonpolis (Nekhen) c. 4000–2686 BCE (main period)
- Kerma c. 2500–1500 BCE
- Luxor Temple c. 1400 BCE to Roman times
- Karnak Temple Complex c. 1970 BCE to Roman times
- Abydos c. 4000 BCE – late Roman times