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ABU
SIMBEL - 320 kilometres from Aswan is to be found
Abu Simbel, the most beautiful and imaginative construction of the greatest and
most whimsical pharaoh in Egyptian history. This temple is dedicated in theory
to Amon-Ra, Harmakis and Ptah, but in practice it was constructed for the
greater glory of its builder - Ramses the Great (Ramses II).
The facade consists of four statues of the pharaoh seated on his throne and
represent his advancing age with the youngest to the left as viewed from the
front. Twice a year a ray of sunlight would penetrate the front entrance and 65
metres into the temple. This would illuminate three of the four statues in the
shrine at the end - the fourth, Ptah - the God of darkness - would not be lit!
When the Aswan dam was constructed this monument would have been submerged by
the waters of the newly created Lake Nasser. A massive undertaking moved the
entire temple 90 metres up and some way behind its original position. The
smaller Temple of Hathor, dedicated to Nefertari, was also moved at the same
time.
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