The Abu Simbel temples are located in southern Egypt, near the border of Sudan. In order to get here, we had to leave the ship at 3:30 am and take a covoy with other tour groups to this destination. We were chaperoned with armed police to make sure our group was safe.
We arrived at Abu Simbel roughly 7:40 am, and was able to see Lake Nasser, which is an artificial lake, as we walked to the Temples.
Originally, the temples were 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 victory at the Battle of Kadesh.
The temples were relocated in its entirety in 1968 to prevent them from being submerged during the creation of Lake Nasser, formed after the building of the Aswan High Dam.
You are not allow to take photos inside, however there is a keeper of the “Key of Life” at the front entrance. If you ask him to take a photo, you can try to angle your camera to get a glimpse of the inside of the temple. Don’t forget to tip the keeper.
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