Abu Simbel, Egypt

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Ninth Stop: Abu Simbel, Egypt.

Before departing from Aswan by boat, we took an hour + flight on Egypt Air to Abu Simbel on the Southern boarder of Egypt just a few miles from Sudan. Abu Simbel houses probably the most impressive temples I've ever seen in my life. The twin temples were originally carved out of the mountainside during the reign of Pharaoh Rameses II in the 13th century BC (over a thousand years after the pyramids), 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. The temples were hidden under sand for centuries but re-discovered in 1800s by a European archaelogist.

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Photos

Me in front of the Sun Temple of Ramses II
The four gigantic statues at the entrance of the temple are of Ramses II

Close-up of Sun Temple Entrance
The small women under Ramses II is Nefertari (his wife) and at the center is Hathor (Goddess of love)

Inside the Sun Temple
Center left = Amun (king of Gods)
Center right = Ramses II
Far right = Ra (Sun God)
Far Left = Ptah (Creation God)

Nefertari Temple
To help unify his kingdom, Ramses II took a Nubian Wife (Nefertari) and built this temple in honor of her.

Covert pics inside Nefertari's Temple
Abu Simbel, like every else in Egypt, prohibits photography inside the buildings. This makes for fun undercover pics like this one of three pillars adorn with Sekhmet (warrior goddess with a lioness head), Amun Ra (king of gods) and Horus (sky god with falcon head).