Abu Simbel (Arabic أبو سنبل or أبو سمبل) is an archaeological site comprising two massive rock temples in southern Egypt on the western bank of Lake Nasser about 290 km southwest of Aswan. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Nubian Monuments" [1], which run from Abu Simbel downriver to Philae (near Aswan).
The twin temples were originally carved out of the mountainside during the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses II in the 13th century BC, as a lasting monument to himself and his queen Nefertari, to commemorate his alleged victory at the Battle of Kadesh, and to intimidate his Nubian neighbors. However, the complex was relocated in its entirety in the 1960s, on an artificial hill made from a domed structure, high above the Aswan dam reservoir.
The Ramses II temple is angled so that the inner sanctum lights up twice a year on the: once on the anniversary of his rise to the throne and, once on his birthday. Crowds pack in the temple before sunrise to watch the shafts of light illuminate the statues of Ramses, Ra and Amon. The other date for this event is Feb. 22.
=====
Event highlighted from STE's Multicultural Calendar
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment