Temples of Abu Simbel Relocation
Abu Simbel is a complex formed by two temples carved into the rock, built by the will of Pharaoh Ramses II during his reign (1279-1213 BC) to commemorate his victory in the battle of Qadesh (ca. 1274 BC).
The temple of Ramses II, or major temple, is the largest that this pharaoh ordered to build in Nubia while the minor temple is dedicated to Nefertari, his first.
Both are located on the left bank of the Nile south of Egypt, although as we will see later they were not always located in the same place.
The construction of the temples lasted about 20 years and its purpose was to impress the southern neighbors as well as reinforce the influence of the religion of the pharaohs in the region.
Purpose they fulfilled until the decline of the ancient Egyptian civilization, when the temples were forgotten and the desert sand was slowly taking over the place.
More than 3,000 years after its construction, in 1813, the Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt found them largely covered by sand.
On his return to Europe he shared his discovery with his colleague Giovanni Belzoni, who did not hesitate to travel to the place in 1815 with the firm intention of accessing the temples.
Entering was not going to be an easy task. The temple of Ramses, with its four colossi guarding the entrance, was invaded by such an amount of sand that Belzoni left his company disappointed and would not resume it until 1817, two years later.
This time he would succeed. He managed to dig an access to the temple to, yes, take all the valuables he was able to transport, something common in the explorers of the time.
