Only twice a year, the February 22 and October, the sun achieved through the main temple at Abu Simbel to illuminate the statues of Pharaoh Ramses II and the gods Horus and Amon-Ra, while leaving wisely penumbra in the face of Ptah, “the lord of the darkness”.
The four giants guardians of more than 20 meters that represent to Ramses II in a position sedentary carry the double crown of the High and Low Egypt. Excavated in the rock in honor to Ramses II and his favorite wife, Nefertari, the temples of Abu Simbel, in the desert Nubian, are the icing of the entire tour of the country of the pharaohs.
The construction of the Great Aswan Dam in the 60, essential to tame the flooding of the Nile that ruined crops, made the Egyptian government and Enesco was mobilized for the temples of the ancient Nubia not disappear under the waters of Lake Nasser, formed artificially in the wake of the building of mammoth dam. 40 Missions of technicians arrived on five continents worked for two decades to disassemble piece by piece more than a score of monuments and architectural complexes and, as if it were a puzzle, back to arm in a secure location for not deprive the Humanity of this succulent slice of the legacy pharaonic.
One of those monuments rescued by Enesco, the most spectacular south of Aswan, was the Great Temple of Abu Simbel, in the same compound in the upward its “little brother”, the devoted to Nefertari and god Hathor.
Ramses II, the most prolific and one of the most powerful pharaohs of all time, is the protagonist of main temple, preceded by a terrace where stand the four giants guardians of more than 20 meters representing it in the sitting position wearing the double crown of the High and Low Egypt and with – things hierarchies – many sculptures minors of family members represented at his feet.
Already inside the temple, carved entirely within the mountain, a great hall of columns and a maze of passageways and cameras decorated with paintings, reliefs of war scenes that narrate the victories of Ramses II and new figures colossal pharaoh and the gods. Very to the fund of the second board hipóstila reaches the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, where stand in the dark the statue of pharaoh next to the three god’s key Egyptian pantheon of the time: Horus, Amon-Ra and Ptah.
Only twice a year, the February 22 and the October 22, the first sunlight can penetrate the entry of the temple and, through its more than 60 meters deep, lit during a 20 minutes all these sculptures of the most arcane inside except Ptah, the god associated with the darkness. Thanks to its astronomical knowledge, the architects of the Great Temple at Abu Simbel achieved this spectacular conjunction with the astro king who, according to some theories, coincides with the dates of birth and the ascent to the throne of pharaoh.
Travel to Egypt, with flights from Madrid or Barcelona, three nights in a hotel in Cairo and Nile cruise of four days in full pension, with all the visits, including the excursion by road to Abu Simbel, from 960 € with Viamed and travel agencies). OR a travel similar, but in hotels and higher with the visit to Abu Simbel by plane, from 1,452 € through Viva Tours and in any agency.
Many agencies do not include the excursion to Abu Simbel in their programs and many also arrived, so far, lost the last great treasure that looks Nile below. Despite the price nonsensical to arrive at Abu Simbel by plane or the beating of four hours by way of doing so by road, forcing out of Aswan to 3 or 4 a.m. – would be a sin miss.
To avoid in possible agglomerations should sleep in the vicinity of Abu Simbel the night before the visit of the temples, in a way that might be on them to first hour. As is currently binding travel from Aswan up there in a convoy guarded by police, all buses arrive at the same time and the agglomerations of órdago, remaining charm to these marvelous temples.