The story of Abu Simbel
Ramses II carved two temples into the sandstone cliffs here around the 13th century BC: the Great Temple, with four 20-metre seated statues of himself, and a smaller temple for his queen Nefertari and the goddess Hathor.
When the High Dam threatened to drown them under Lake Nasser, an international UNESCO campaign cut the temples into blocks and rebuilt them 65 metres higher between 1964 and 1968. Twice a year, around 22 February and 22 October, the rising sun still lights the statues in the inner sanctuary.
