Tour Locations: Abu Simbel

Just near the southern Egyptian-Sudanese border lies the most invasive archaeological thriller in the world Abu Simbel. The front of the monastery stands a mass of rock temples erected in the 13th Century B.C. by Ramses II. Of the two temples, the larger one is dedicated to Ramses himself, as well as to the gods Amun, Ra-Horakhty, and Ptah, with towering statues of the pharaoh on a throne. The smaller temple is dedicated to Ramses’ wife Nefertari and includes six statues—four of Ramses and two of the queen. The temples were moved in the 1960s to prevent them from being permanently submerged with the completion of the High Dam on the Nile. A visit to Abu Simbel is an awe-inspiring look at the art and engineering of ancient Egypt.