Abu Simbel

The Abu Simbel temples are one of Egypt’s most iconic and awe-inspiring ancient landmarks, located in the Nubian desert near the Sudanese border. Carved directly into a sandstone cliff, these monumental temples were built by Pharaoh Ramses II in the 13th century BC to honor himself and his queen, Nefertari, and to commemorate Egypt’s victory at the Battle of Kadesh. The larger of the two temples is dedicated to Ramses II, with colossal statues of the pharaoh flanking the entrance, while the smaller temple honors Nefertari, featuring statues of her and Ramses of equal size—a rare display of the queen’s elevated status.

Beyond their stunning architecture, the Abu Simbel temples are remarkable for their relocation in the 1960s. In an unprecedented engineering feat, the entire complex was moved to higher ground to avoid flooding from the construction of the Aswan High Dam.