Abu Simbel's Great Temple was begun around 1264 BC under Ramesses II and is roughly 3,200 years old. It was cut into more than 1,000 blocks and relocated in 1964–1968 to protect it from Lake Nasser flooding. Twice a year, sunlight follows the temple axis into the sanctuary; the temple is about 56 metres long, not 60 metres deep. The video argues that some less-precise inner statues resemble Nuragic figures and may predate the Ramesside construction, but that interpretation is not an established archaeological finding.
Abu Simbel's 3,200-year-old Great Temple was relocated in the 1960s
EgyptGeneral
Key facts
- The Great Temple at Abu Simbel was begun around 1264 BCE under Ramesses II and is roughly 3,200 years old.
- It was cut into more than 1,000 blocks and reassembled in 1964–1968, 64 metres above and 180 metres inland from its original site, to protect it from Lake Nasser flooding.
- The Great Temple is about 56 metres long, so the claim that its sanctuary is 60 metres deep is incorrect. Sunlight reaches the sanctuary through its axial passage twice a year.
- The colossal facade statues are carved from the sandstone cliff.
- The video argues that some less-precise inner statues resemble large-eyed Nuragic figures and may predate the Ramesside temple; this is the presenter's theory, not an established archaeological finding.
Sources
Abu Simbel | History, Temples, Map, & Images | Britannicabritannica.com
Abu Simbel, site of two temples built by the Egyptian king Ramses II (reigned 1279–13 bce), now located in Aswān muḥāfaẓah (governorate), southern Egypt.
Great Temple of Abu Simbel - Institute of Egyptian Art & Archaeologymemphis.edu
Abu Simbel is a temple built by Ramesses II (c.1279-1213 BCE) in ancient Nubia, where he wished to demonstrate his power and his divine nature.
New Kingdom Monuments Abu-Simbelegyptianmuseum.org
It contains two temples, carved into a mountainside, that were built by Pharaoh Ramses II (1303-1213 BCE), also known as Ramses the Great. The larger of the ...
Working Together: Abu Simbel - UNESCO World Heritage Centrewhc.unesco.org
The Great Temple, fronted by four colossal 21-metre statues of Ramses II, is particularly awe-inspiring. Carved out of solid rock in the 13th century BCE, it ...
Who Built Abu Simbel? History, Construction & Facts - Visit Egyptvisitegypt.com
Extremely old-over three thousand two hundred years, Abu Simbel temples were built; construction began around 1264 B.C. and was completed around ...
Abu Simbelen.wikipedia.org
Ramesses II embarked on an extensive building program throughout Egypt and Nubia, Construction of the temple complex started in c. 1264 BC and lasted for about ...
Monuments and Art Under Ramses IIafricame.factsanddetails.com
The Abu Simbel complex was built over the course of 20 years in the 13th Century B.C. It is 56 meters (185 feet) long and 27.5 meters (90 feet) high. The four ...
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