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Published: September 23rd 2009
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Missy posing with the ankh
The heiroglphics depict Egytian goddesses holding the key of life like this. We left our hotel early for the Aswan airport to head to Abu Simbel. Mayer explained that you have to go by plane or military convoy escort on a bus. Apparently, there has been a history of terrorism and tourists have been robbed and held as hostages by the Sudanese on their way through this secluded part of the desert. I felt better that we would be traveling by plane.
We did have a little mishap at the airport again. One of group members accidentially left some maniucure scissors in her bag and the airport police were very upset. We could not understand their instructions, so we quickly found Mayer. They instructed Mayer to break the scissors. He had a hard time, but he managed to destroy them. I don't know why they just did not dispose of them to begin with instead of making a huge scene.
The plane ride was simply terrifying through the desert. It felt like we were on a rollercoaster that would just not end. What made it worse was me sitting with my Australian friend. He proceeded to tell me about every plane ride he had where he thought he was going to
The Red Sea
The picture was taken from the air of the Red Sea. die! I guess that was his way of coping with the stress. My Ireland friend said the airline needed to change its name to Egypt Scare instead of Egypt Air. Michele told me she had broken out in a cold sweat and almost threw up from the turbulance. Mayer told us that we had better be glad we were flying with Egypt Air because the other lines could not handle the turbulant desert. On our way, we saw the Red Sea and it was breathtaking from the air.
Abu Simbel was a temple that had been built by Ramses II in the side of a mountain. He also built a temple for his favorite wife Nefertari beside of his. It was amazing. Construction of the temple complex started in approximately 1244 BC and lasted for about 20 years, until 1224 BC. Known as the "Temple of Ramesses, beloved by Amun", it was one of six rock temples erected in Nubia during the long reign of Ramesses II. Their purpose was to impress Egypt's southern neighbors, and also to reinforce the status of Egyptian religion in the region. Historians say that the design of Abu Simbel expresses a bit of
Abu Simbel
These carvings show Ramses at different ages. ego and pride in Ramses II. It was dedicated to the gods Amun, Ra-Horakhty, and Ptah, as well as to the deified Rameses himself. He had carvings of a few of his children around his massive statues. We learned that he fathered over one hundred children! I am sure he had a hard time remebering their names, so I guess that is why most of them were called Ramses! The temple of Hathor and Nefertari, also known as the Small Temple, was built about one hundred meters northeast of the temple of Ramesses II and was dedicated to the goddess Hathor and Ramesses II's chief consort, Nefertari. This was in fact the second time in ancient Egyptian history that a temple was dedicated to a queen. The first time, Akhenaten dedicated a temple to his great royal wife, Nefertiti.
In 1959 an international donations campaign to save the monuments of Nubia began: the southernmost relics of this ancient human civilization were under threat from the rising waters of the Nile that were about to result from the construction of the Aswan High Dam.
The temples had to be moved 80 meters up to prevent them from being submerged
Missy at Abu Simbel
Missy in front of Ramses' II temple. by Lake Nasser when the high dam was built. The salvage of the Abu Simbel temples began in 1964, and cost some USD $40 million. Between 1964 and 1968, the entire site was cut into large blocks (up to 30 tons averaging 20 tons), dismantled and reassembled in a new location - 65 m higher and 200 m back from the river, in what many consider one of the greatest feats of archaeological engineering. Some structures were even saved from under the waters of Lake Nasser. Today, thousands of tourists visit the temples daily. Guarded convoys of buses and cars depart twice a day from Aswan, the nearest city. Many visitors also arrive by plane, at an airfield that was specially constructed for the temple complex.
One neat engineering feat was how the axis of the temple was positioned by the ancient Egyptian architects in such a way that twice a year, on October 20 and February 20, the rays of the sun would penetrate the sanctuary and illuminate the sculpture on the back wall, except for the statue of Ptah, the god connected with the Underworld, who always remained in the dark. These dates are allegedly the king's
Michele at Abu Simbel
Michele in front of Nefertari's temple. birthday and coronation day. After moving the temple up 80 meters, the closest our engineers could get to these dates is off by one day.
This was a beautiful place to visit with Lake Nasser in the background, and it has been one of my favorites so far even with the 120 degree heat.
After our day at Abu Simbel, we flew back to Aswan. Our group decided to meet and venture to the market. We had no idea how different the shopping would be. Tourists are bombarded by the villagers begging them to purchase treasures from their stores. You really have to know what things should sell for or you will pay way too much. The villagers seem to really enjoy arguing with toursits over prices. I have to say I did not like it. It takes forever to make a purchase.
By Missy
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