Abu Simbel Overview

Most tours to Egypt don't include a visit to Abu Simbel, since it is at the most southern point in the country and it accessible only by air or by convoy from Aswan. It sits on the Sudan border, which is closed to most traffic. The site can only be reached by air or on a Nile Cruise. While there is a road from Aswan.However, we ran into a few people who came by road-convoy, so it apparently is possible to get there on the desert road (280km) from Aswan. Your best bet is to fly in on EgyptAir, which has several flights a day. Most tourists fly in to the site in the morning, and spend a few hours, then fly back to Aswan in the afternoon.

King's Wife's Temple

This temple is also called " Temple of Queen Nefertari", and is fronted by six huge statues of Nefertari (as Hathor) and her husband Ramesses II, and smaller statues of their children. THe statues are only 9 meters high -- less than half the size of the seated colossi of Ramesses' own temple.

From left to right, the statues are Ramesses II (with the princes Meryatum and Meryre), Nefertari (with princess Meryamun and Henwati) and then Ramesses (with princes Amunhikhopshef and Rahrirwemenef). The same statues are in mirror image on the right. In contrast to most statues of pharaohs, Nefertari is shown as the same size as her husband and king. Usually, wives and children are both shown as tiny figures clustered around the knees of the king.

Discover of Abu Simbel Temple

The Great temple at Abu Simbel were practically unknown in the Egyptological world until Johan Ludwig Burckhardt visited the site in 1813 when he saw the upper part of a temple façade almost covered by sand. Giovanni Battista Belzoni visited the site shortly afterwards in 1817 and discovered the entrance door. Since that time many adventurers have been struck by the awe-inspiring façade of the temple built by Rameses II around 3000 years ago with its giant colossal statues of the king sculpted from the mountain rock.