Abu Simbel
Trip Start
Jun 04, 2006
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35
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Trip End
Sep 04, 2007
The road between Abu Simbel and Aswan is now open, making it possible to have an optional excursion by road to the magnificent site. The temples at Abu Simbel are one of the highlights of any visit to Egypt and is considered unmissable by mnay travellers. Deep in the heart of the desert, miles from the nearest habitation is a gigantic monolith out of which are carved four colossal statues- each one the seated figure of Ramses II, one of the Ancient Egypet's greatest Pharaohs. Built in the 13th century BC, the temples remained totally hidden by sand until 1813, and were almost destined to be submerged again, 150 years later, by the rising waters of Lake Nassar- a man made lake formed after the building of the Aswan High Dam. Remarkably, a massive UNESCO project dismantled the entire temple and the cliff out of which it is carved, and reassembled it on higher ground redirecting the magnificent stare of Ramses II across the Lake Nasser's blue water.
