What is unique about Ramses II temple of Abu Simbel?
The Abu Simbel Temple is actually two individual temples, both rock cut structures, and both built during the reign of King Ramses II sometime in the 1200 B.C. time period. One temple is dedicated to King Ramses II, and the second temple is dedicated to his beloved wife Queen Nefertari.
Why Ramesses II built the temple at Abu Simbel in Egypt?
Abu Simbel is a temple built by Ramesses II (c. 1279-1213 B.C.E.) in ancient Nubia, where he wished to demonstrate his power and his divine nature. The temple was cut out of the sandstone cliffs above the Nile River in an area near the Second Cataract.
What happened in the 1960’s to the temple of Ramesses II at Abu Simbel?
However, in a remarkable feat of engineering, the temple complex was dismantled and rebuilt on a higher hill to make way for the Aswan High Dam in the 1960s.
What guarded Ramses temple at Abu Simbel?
Temples at Abu Simbel Protected With Sand; Facial Pack to Ward Off Debris When Digging Begins.
How was the temple of Abu Simbel saved?
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. By means of a complex engineering feat in the 1960s, the temples were salvaged from the rising waters of the Nile River caused by erection of the Aswan High Dam.
Why was the temple of Abu Simbel in danger of being destroyed?
All this and more is the story of how the temples of Ramses II at Abu Simbel in Egypt were saved from destruction when the rising Nile waters from the construction of the nearby Aswan High Dam threatened to put thousands of years of history at risk.
Why was Egypt’s Abu Simbel temple moved in the 1960s?
Why was Egypt’s Abu Simbal temple moved in the 1960s? Egyptian officials wanted to relocate the temple to increase tourism in Giza.
What happened to the second statue at Abu Simbel?
The head of the second statue from the left is broken off and laying on the ground in front of the statue. This happened during an earthquake just after the temple was completed.
Why is Abu Simbel broken?
To rescue the ancient temples in Abu Simbel from the waters of the Nile, the temples had to be relocated. With the construction of the large Aswan Dam, two ancient temples would be submerged and irreparably damaged.
Was the temple at Abu Simbel moved?
To rescue the ancient temples in Abu Simbel from the waters of the Nile, the temples had to be relocated. These twin temples, one larger and one smaller, were built more than 3,200 years ago by Ramses II as monuments to himself and his queen Nefertari. International fund-raising began for the project in 1960.
How was the temple of Abu Simbel saved from near destruction?
Dismantling began at the top of the temples, while their facades were protected by sand cushions to prevent fragments from falling and causing damage. The Great Temple alone was covered with 19,000 cubic metres of sand. The interior of the temples was bolstered by a steel scaffolding.
How were the temples of Abu Simbel moved?
To rescue the ancient temples in Abu Simbel from the waters of the Nile, the temples had to be relocated. The temples were not built of stone or any other material, but were instead carved into a cliff. To move the temples, the rock above the temple roofs first had to be “peeled away”.