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Abu
Simbel lies far to the south of the ancient
borders of Egypt, in the land of Nubia.
Two magnificent rock-cut temples were built
here by the 19th Dynasty pharaoh Ramesses
II (ca. 1304-1237 BC). The larger of the
two, the Great
Temple, was dedicated to the gods Amun,
Ptah, Re-Horakhty, and the deified Ramesses
II, while the Small
Temple was dedicated to the goddess
Hathor and Ramesses II’s principal
queen, Nefertari.
In
the early 1960’s, the global community
realized that the construction of the Aswan
High Dam and the subsequent creation of
Lake Nasser would flood many of the monuments
of Lower Nubia, including the temples at
Abu Simbel. During a massive international
campaign directed by UNESCO, the temples
were cut into enormous blocks and re-assembled
some 65 m higher (213 ft), and 210 m (689
ft) from the river.
HOURS OF
OPERATION:
Open daily. Summer: 5 AM - 6 PM
Winter: 5 AM - 5 PM
TICKET
COST:
(Includes
admission to the Great Temple and the Small
Temple. Tickets for the Sound and Light show
[link - popup Misr Sound and Light] must
be purchased separately.)
Egyptian: 4 LE
Foreign: 70 LE
A 50% discount on admission is available to students with a valid student
ID from an Egyptian University or a valid ISIC card.
LOCATION:
280 km south of
Aswan on the shores of Lake Nasser
DIRECTIONS:
BY AIR: EgyptAir
flies between Aswan and Abu Simbel. The
flight takes about an hour.
BY
BOAT: Some cruise lines offer stops at
Abu Simbel.
BY
BUS OR TAXI: Abu Simbel can be reached
by car or bus from Aswan. Arrange with
the front desk of your hotel to be picked
up between 3:00 and 3:30 AM by bus or taxi.
All vehicles leave at 4:00 AM in a convoy.
The trip takes about three hours each way.
For public transportation, Upper Egypt
Bus Co. and El Gouna both run regular buses
up to Abu Simbel from the main bus station
in Aswan. The return buses leave from the
Wadi El Nile Restaurant in Abu Simbel.
FACILITIES:
There is a tourist
bazaar and café near the entrance
to the site.
NO
PHOTOGRAPHY PERMITTED INSIDE THE TEMPLES
The
site is wheelchair accessible.
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