Abu Simbel Temples

Abu Simbel is a historic site consisting of two massive rock-cut temples in the village of Abu Simbel, Aswan Governorate, Upper Egypt, near the border with Sudan. It is located on the western bank of Lake Nasser, about 230 kilometers (140 miles) southwest of Aswan (about 300 kilometers (190 miles) by road). The twin temples were originally carved out of the mountainside in the 13th century BC, during the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses II of the 19th Dynasty. Their massive external rock relief figures of Ramesses II have become iconic. His wife, Nefertari, and children are depicted in smaller figures near his feet. Sculptures inside the Great Temple commemorate Ramesses II's valiant leadership during the Battle of Kadesh.