Abu Simbel Temple Relocation: See the Amazing Change

The Abu Simbel Temple stands tall as one of the greatest buildings. It was not just an architectural masterpiece, but something grand. King Ramses II built the temple in the rock to commemorate his wife Queen Nefertari, his partner in the throne and his heart.

He also led the Abu Simbel Temple Relocation.

Its majestic facade is adorned with six colossal statues showing the king’s greatness and the kingdom’s high status. This was a rare expression of appreciation and loyalty in the time of the Pharaohs. 

The temple extends deep into the mountain where its decorated walls tell stories of the queen offering sacrifices and supplicating to the gods whether accompanied by the king or alone.

On this day in 1968, a new page was written in its history when the temple was moved to save it from drowning to remain a witness to the splendor of Egyptian architecture.

Abu Simbel Temple Relocation 

The Abu Simbel temple Relocation or carved as a testament to the greatness of King Ramesses II who built it in the 13th century BC to commemorate his legendary victory at the Battle of Kadesh.

This edifice was not just a temple; it was a monument combining worship power, and eternal love. It was designed to immortalize the king and his wife, Queen Nefertari.

The complex consists of two temples. The first the larger is dedicated to the worship of the major Egyptian deities of the time: Ra, Horus, Ptah, and Amun.

Its facade is adorned with four colossal statues of Ramesses II, a symbol of power and immortality.

The smaller temple was dedicated to the goddess Hathor where Nefertari was embodied as a symbol of beauty and royal charm.

Over time the Abu Simbel Temple faced a new threat that nearly wiped out its traces forever.

In the 1960s with the construction of the High Dam and the formation of Lake Nasser bold action was necessary to preserve this pharaonic treasure.

UNESCO launched an international campaign to save the temple with many countries contributing to this massive project.

In 1964 an unprecedented rescue operation began costing $40 million.

During Abu Simbel Temple Relocation the temple was cut into huge blocks some weighing as much as 30 tons.

These blocks were then reassembled on an artificial hill 65 meters high 200 meters from its original location.

This process continued until 1968, and is considered one of the greatest achievements of archaeological engineering in the modern era.

The temple was rebuilt with amazing precision preserving its original spirit remaining a symbol of Egyptian civilization that refuses to fade away.

Duration of rebuilding Abu Simbel Temple

The Abu Simbel Temple Relocation and the construction of the Great Temple at Abu Simbel took approximately twenty years, and was completed in the twenty-fourth year of the reign of King Ramesses II around 1265 BC.

It was not just a massive stone structure; it was a magnificent architectural masterpiece dedicated to the worship of the great gods of ancient Egypt—Amun, Ra-Hor, and Ptah—in addition to the deification of the king himself.

This temple is considered one of the greatest and most beautiful temples built during the reign of Ramesses II and is considered one of the most magnificent and creative Egyptian temples of all time.

Overlooking the facade are four colossal statues of Ramses II each 20 meters tall adorned with the double crown symbolizing the unification of northern and southern Egypt.

The facade extends 35 meters in width crowned by rows of 22 baboons, their arms raised to the sky as if glorifying the rising sun. On either side of the entrance are smaller statues depicting Queen Nefertari the Queen Mother Mut-Tu, and Ramses II’s sons and daughters highlighting his family’s position within this legendary edifice.

Above the main entrance is a relief depicting King Ramses II supplicating to the gods Ra and Horus.

Ramses II stands tall holding the Egyptian script and the feather of justice affirming his role as a just and wise ruler.

Above the facade is an inscription commemorating his marriage to the daughter of the Hittite king Hattili III an event that ended the conflict between Egypt and the Hittite Empire and established peace between the two superpowers at the time.

Details of the Small Temple of Abu Simbel

About 100 meters northeast of the Temple of Ramesses II the Temple of Nefertari and Hathor, also known as the “Small Temple,” stands out as a timeless masterpiece embodying the highest meanings of royal love.

This edifice was not only built to honor the goddess Hathor, but also to honor Queen Nefertari making it the second temple in ancient Egyptian history to be dedicated to a queen after the temple he built or the one he rebuilt during the Abu Simbel temple Relocation. 

Upon entering the temple visitors notice that its interior design is inspired by the Great Temple, but in a simpler version. The inscriptions and sculptures depict details of royal life and the queen’s relationship with the goddess Hathor.

The walls are also adorned with magnificent scenes of the king and his family depicting princes and princesses lined up next to their parents in exquisite artistic harmony demonstrating the royal family’s connection to the sanctity of the temple.

The temple’s massive facade is adorned with colossal carefully carved statues arranged in two groups on either side of the main entrance. What’s striking is that the statues depicting King Ramses II and Queen Nefertari are of equal size, an unusual feature in ancient Egyptian art where queens were usually depicted much smaller alongside their pharaonic husbands.

These unique details clearly reflect the status Nefertari held in Ramses II’s heart granting her a status unmatched by any other queen before her.

What is the Great Temple?

The Temple of Nefertari and Hathor is a unique architectural masterpiece. The Great Temple of Abu Simbel was rebuilt in a distinctive way exuding grandeur and sanctity from every angle. Similar to the Great Temple, the hypostyle hall (pronaos) is centered on six massive columns. However here they do not bear statues or series representing the king.

Instead they are decorated with scenes of Queen Nefertari playing the sistrum a sacred musical instrument associated with the goddess Hathor.

She is surrounded by a number of great Egyptian deities, such as Horus Khnum Khonsu, and Thoth, in addition to the goddesses Hathor Isis Maat, Mut, Satis, and Tarot.

After passing through the hypostyle hall, the visitor reaches a hall branching off from three massive entrances leading to the shrines Majestic scenes are delicately carved on the northern and southern walls showing the king and his courtiers offering sacred papyrus plants to the goddess Hathor depicted in a mural.

Remarkably the main columns in this hall bear the heads of the goddess Hathor an architectural style known as “Hathurial columns,” indicating the deep connection between this temple and this goddess who symbolizes love music, and motherhood.

The walls of the hall are also decorated with distinctive reliefs depicting King Ramesses II performing religious rituals and destroying his enemies in the north and south accompanied by Nefertari in a scene that reflects her strength and prominent role alongside him.

The interior of the temple after the Abu Simbel Temple Relocation reveals its greatest spiritual symbols. There is a sanctuary dedicated to the goddess Hathor carved into the rocks to reveal her divine presence.

Her iconic relief depicts her emerging from the heart of the mountain indicating her status as the “Lady of this Temple,” embodying her close connection to Queen Nefertari, as if granting her eternal blessings.

Abu Simbel Temple Relocation FAQs

Why was the Abu Simbel Temple moved?

It was moved to protect it from being submerged after the construction of the Aswan High Dam.

Was the Abu Simbel Temple moved?

The Abu Simbel Temple was rebuilt on a higher site farther from the waters of Lake Nasser.

How was the Abu Simbel Temple saved from submersion?

It was dismantled into massive blocks and rebuilt on a high plateau using precise engineering techniques.

Finally, after the Abu Simbel Temple Relocation it is not just stones, but a story that tells of the glory of the Pharaohs and the greatness of the Egyptians both in its construction and in its rescue.

It is proof that great civilizations never die, but rather defy time and rewrite their history. Today the temple stands tall above the rocks of Aswan as if announcing to all its visitors that greatness does not sink, but rather remains immortal in the memory of the earth and humanity.