The Great Temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel (Abu-Simbel)

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  Anjinsama

  Due to the rising waters of Lake Nasser,the entire temple was cut into sections,and rebuilt above the proposed top of the lake.This an amazing feat,complicated by the fact that the temple is precisly alligned with the sun.On a certain day(I believe the summer solstice) a beam of light illuminates the interior of the temple.

  17 years ago | reply | hide comment
• 
  angjana

  Abu Simbel is situated in Nubia, Egypt almost on the borders of Sudan about 300 kilometres from Aswan. The temple has attracted many tourists since then and has been considered one of the most beautiful architectural pieces of ancient Egypt. It is also one of the best examples of rock cut architecture; a monolith sandstone rock, cut beautifully into a most imaginative presentation through construction. This great temple was built in 13th century BC by Egyptian Pharaoh, Ramesses II, to symbolise his power and his divine nature. It was also to symbolise his victorious expeditions to Syria and other military achievements. The temple's facade is dominated by four enormous seated statues of the Pharaoh, each over 67 feet high although one has been damaged since ancient times due to earth quake. It has been demolished from the waist up.The temple has been cut from one single piece of giant rock and the size of temple inside is 125 feet by 213 feet with ten storey high facade of these gigantic statues. the temple was shifted from its original location to some 600 feet towards west and 210 feet above the original location, to save from the upstream of Aswan High Dam The work started in April 1964. On 22nd September 1968 the temple was fully reconstructed. The temple was recreated with the same orientation and in exact relationship so that on 22nd February and 22nd October light fell on deities inside as before, for almost an hour in the morning. When these monuments were shifted whole world watched its progress to the extent that this reconstruction became instrumental in paving a way for the 1972 Convention, called World Heritage Convention. It's greatest impact was that it created a concept of World Heritage for the first time, the significance of which transcends all political and geographical boundaries.

  15 years ago | reply | hide comment