Temple of Nefertari- Abu Simbel

The Small Temple at Abu Simbel, built by Ramesses II (c. 1264-1244 BC), was dedicated to the goddess Hathor and his chief consort Queen Nefertari, only the second time in Egyptian history a temple honored a queen. The rock-cut facade features six colossal standing figures over 10 meters high, with statues of the king and queen depicted at equal size, an extremely rare occurrence in Egyptian art. The hypostyle hall contains six pillars with Hathoric capitals bearing the face of Hathor, while the sanctuary shows the goddess as a cow emerging from the mountain. The entire complex was relocated to higher ground in 1968 to escape submersion by Lake Nasser as part of UNESCO's international rescue campaign.