Abu simble

Perhaps after the Giza Pyramids, or in conjunction with, and the Temple of Abu Simbel, the most popular features in ancient Egypt to the modern traveler and reader. When conservation efforts to preserve the temple from the soon to be built the Aswan Dam, and the high water level began in the 1960s, the giant statues of pictures to fill newspapers and books. Temples were dismantled and moved in 1968 in the desert plateau about 200 feet above and at a depth of 600 feet to the west of its original location.
Abu Simbel, south of Aswan, located on the west bank of the River Nile, 180 km south of the First Cataract in what was Nubia. The site was known as Meha in ancient times, and was the first document in the Dynasty 18th, when the AY and Horemheb carved in the rock, churches carved into the hills to the south.
Ramses II, called "Great", which was built seven carved in the rock, the temples in Nubia. And the rock cut temple of Ramses II on the West Bank of the River Nile at Abu Simbel is the greatest of them. This temple was not seen by Europeans until JJ Burckhardt discovered in 1813.
Temple, called HWT Meryamun Ramses, the "Temple of Ramses, beloved of Amun", began in early enough in the long reign of Ramesses, commissioned some time after the fifth year of his reign, but was not completed until the year of the reign of 35. Interface the main temple is dominated by four large huge statues of Ramses in their seats. Such representations are known of Ramses II himself. Each statue, 67 feet, sits on a throne, and holds the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt. Everyone is taller than the Statue of Memnon at Thebes, all carved directly into the rock. Thrones are decorated on both sides with Nile gods symbolically unify Egypt.
Borchardt, said in the face first on the left who "was the most expression, countenance of young people, closer to the Greek form of beauty more than any other figure of ancient Egypt saw it."
Earthquake destroyed the ancient statues. One is torn from the waist up.
Between the legs and both sides are small statues of members of the royal family. Small statues of relatives, was perhaps the first southern colossus: Queen Nefretari of his left leg, the mother of the king and queen of the large cemetery Seti I, Muttuya in his right leg, and Prince Amenhirkhopshef in the front. The Colossus of the South second, Princess Bent'anta standing beside the left leg, left Nebettawyby princess, and this figure does not name a female, and perhaps that of a woman whose real name is Esenofre less.
Statues of the family in the north supercomputer, Nefretari Queen and Princess and Prince Beketmut Riameses in the front. For the giant North II, the Merytamun princess, queen and a princess Muttuya Nefertari.
Under these giant statues are carved figures of prisoners binding.
Patio or balcony overlooking the temple contained two tanks for the ablutions of the priests. In the northern part of the balcony and stood a small sun, and the chapel, and south, and the chapel of the god Thoth. Above the entrance, and the figure of the hawk-headed sun god Ra is shown adored the pictures that accompany Ramses. Figure the mystery of a header containing the first name of Ramses II, or Userma'atre: a hawk-headed god Ra is the aspect of his right leg in the Avatar shows the head and neck of the animal, and user reviews, and the goddess Maat on his left leg. In the upper part of the facade of the temple is a row of baboon statues of attitudes of worship, and said to welcome the sunrise.
And trained on the south side of the balcony in the open air called "after marriage", and a copy of the registration and one of Ramses II in the victories of diplomacy, and his marriage to the daughter of the king of the Hittites Hattusilis III.
Inside the temple, a number of cameras became smaller rooms and floors has increased significantly. This is the basic agreement for the design and architecture, as one moves deeper into the temple to the shrine that contains the mound of homemade, high water level of Nun.
The first room inside the temple contains eight large statues of the king and Osiris, and four on each side, which also serve as pillars to support the roof. The walls are decorated in relief with scenes depicting the wars of King in the battle, including the Battle of Kadesh in the North, Syria, Libya and Nubia in the south wall, and also put the prisoners to the gods.
In the north wall of the entrance to this room a scene showing the columns of Ramses the Great in the presence of Amun, whom King Abdullah called for the battle against the Hittites at Kadesh.
Behind the first room is a small room with ritual scenes to second. Here, in one scene both Ramesses and Nefertari to appear before the sacred boat of Amun, and another, and before the sacred boat of Re Horakhaty. Three doors from here lead to the hallway, then go to the shrine.
Contains a small shrine on the altar, and place the back four statues. These images represent the worship of Ramses II himself, and the three gods of the state of New Kingdom Ra Horakhty Heliopolis, Memphis, Ptah, Amun-Re at Thebes. Before the statues of the block is located in the ship, which was sacred.

Axis of the temple is arranged so that for two days in the year in February and October of shooting at the sun through the entrance and the corridors until the end illuminates the statues to the shrine.
To the north of the main temple of a small temple built in honor of the wife of Ramses the Great, Nefertari and Hathor. And this structure should not be confused with the tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of Queens, near the pretty good.

As is the case with the Temple of Ramses, was reduced to the cliff-like walls of the slope of the edifice. Six big numbers stands 33 feet high four of Ramesses II and Nefertari's, were cut from the rock, side by side with the smaller figures in the royal family. Inscription above the entrance says "Ramses II, who made one of the temples, carved into the rock, and employment, the eternal, the President of Queen Nefertari, beloved Mu, in Nubia, forever and ever, Nefertari at the hands of the same sun shines."
At home, and the Temple of Nefertari in the hall of the individual columns, with carved Hathor Summit of Heads of Staff. On both sides towards the center of the hall of columns, Ramses is to hit the enemies, and offered to different gods, while it appears Nefertari, graceful and slim, raising his hands. Three doors leading to the room with the sub-rooms at each end.
The shelter is full, despite the two spaces left in the side walls of the bedroom doors, did not reduce. In the inner chamber and includes a series of photos of interdependence between the royal couple and the gods. On the back wall, and Hathor is shown in relief as high as a cow emerging from the western mountain, and stands the king under the chin. Nefertari appears again and again that participation in the ritual on an equal footing with the king. Left on the wall, Nefertari is before Hathor and the death of worship, and the right, Rameses loves to pictures of him and his wife own deified.
When passed from the Greek mercenaries in the 6th century BC, and the sand is already in the knees of the statues. See this old vision of environmental requirements left an inscription which reads: "When it came to the king Psammetik <sic> Philly, and this is written by those who sailed with the son of Theolces Psammetik and Kerkis exceed the allowed range of the river."