Abu Simbel is a temple that was built by Ramesses II(c. 1279-1213 B.C.E.) in ancient Nubia. Ramesses II built this temple because he wanted to demonstrate his power and divine nature. There are four colossal (65 feet/20 meters high) statues of Ramesses II that sit in pairs at the entrance of the temple. The alignment of the temple is so that only twice a year the sun's rays reach the inner part into the sanctuary to illuminate the statues of Ptah, Amen-Re, Ramesses II, and Horakhty. Abu Simbel was cut out of the sandstone cliffs just above the Nile River in an area near the Second Cataract. In the early 1960s High Dam was being constructed, international cooperation collected funds and technical expertise to move Abu Simbel to higher grounds so that it would not be filled by the waters of Lake Nasser. |