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The archeological complex of
Abu Simbel situated in Nubia (Egypt) is made from two
temples cut straight in stone during the reign of pharaoh
Ramses II.
The complex, remarkable
through its massive stone statues of Ramses and of his wife,
Nefertari, is a part of the Nubian Monuments UNESCO World
Heritage Site.
It was built by Ramses II in 13th century BC, to intimidate
his Nubian rivals and to commemorate the famous battle of
Kadesh.
The Great Temple is
considered the most beautiful temple made by the pharaoh
Ramses II. |
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The front of the temple has 33
meters in height and 38 meters in width, being
guarded by 4 statues of Ramses II. Up, on the front,
a raw of Baboons smiling to the sunrise. On the
entrance there is lettered the name of the king Ser-Ma`at-Ra,
and between the gigantic legs of the statues are
several smaller sculptures of the Ramses II` s
family: his mother, Mut-tuy, his wife Nefertari, as
well as his sons and daughters. On the walls of the
temple is described the battle of Kadesh had by
Ramses with the Hittites. |
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It is an unique temple and due
to the way in which the Sun lights 4 statues from the
temple` s interior, statues of Ra-Harakhte, Ptah, Amun-Ra
and Ramses II, deified, only in two days of the year, 21
February, the day of the king, and 22 October, the day of
his crowning.
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The Small Temple is
situated in the North of the bigger temple being
dedicated to Hathor, the goddess of beauty and love,
by Ramses II, and through her to his beautiful wife
Nefertari. The front is guarded by 6 statues, 4 of
Ramses II and 2 of Nefertari. An interesting fact is
that the 6 statues are equal as height, which is an
unusual thing for Egypt and a sign of the respect
for Nefertari. The pronaos or the hypostyle hall has
6 pillars for support; the pillars have as
decorations the scenes of queen playing at an
instrument called the sinistrum. She is accompanied
by the gods Thoth, Khnum, Horus and Khonsu and by
the goddess Isis, Taweret, Maat, Hathor, Satis and
Mut of Asher.
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The bas-reliefs from the pillard hall
shows the king` s deification, his enemies` destruction in
South and North as well as the offerings of the queen to the
goddess Mut and Hathor. The access to the vestibule is made
by 3 big doors. On the chamber` s North and South walls are
2 poetic and graceful bas-reliefs of the pharaoh and of his
wife.
The integrity of the temples was threatened by the raising
of the Nile water` s levels as a result of the building of
the Assuan barrage in the `60. Through a model of
international cooperation of UNESCO, the archeological sites
were searched, dismembered and assembled in the same way,
but with 65 and 200 meters higher and in the back of the
original location, a location covered by the waters of the
lake Nasser.
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