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Occasional change in the terrain as we were driving from Aswan to Abu Simbel in Egypt

2012-05-26T06:04:00.000-07:00

The distance by road from Aswan to Abu Simbel is around 280 km (the actual distance is lower, but you know how road distances tend to be larger than the actual distance). Most of the terrain is flat, but from time to time, there are some hills / mountains on the way, such as can be seen in this photo. However, the route is for the most part, boring. The only interesting element in the road trip was when you are able to catch the orb of the sun at sunrise / sunset.

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Driver of the vehicle taking us from Aswan to Abu Simbel, a hour drive in South Egypt

2012-05-25T05:16:00.000-07:00

The driver of the vehicle taking us from the city of Aswan to the isolated temple of Abu Simbel in the southern Egyptian region of Nubia. The temples were located far away from modern civilization centers, they were in fact meant to showcase to the southern neighbors of Egypt about the power of the Egyptian pharaohs. Getting to the temple from Aswan can be done by boat, flight, or by road. We went by road, and since almost the only vehicles on the road were the tourist convoys (with vehicles traveling some distance apart), it was an easy drive for the driver (I would suppose the only problem would be to ensure that he does not fall asleep because of the sameness of the terrain over which he was driving.

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Electric transmission line alongside the Highway to Abu Simbel in Egypt

2012-05-24T05:14:00.000-07:00

The route from the city of Aswan to the location where the temple of Abu Simbel is present is interesting only to those people who like desert travel. It is a 4 lane highway, stretching for a length of 280 km, where you can get there in less than 3 hours, since almost the entire traffic is only of tourist vehicles (allowed only at specific time intervals). Alongside the road is an electric line, with frequent transmission towers. For somebody interested in photography, it became boring after some time, so took a few photos of the surroundings (and there was no exploration possible - the driver of the tourist vehicle seemed scared of the police rules enough that he was hesitant in even stopping the vehicle and letting us look around on this highway).

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Tourists standing at the foot of the large statues of the Pharaoh at the temple of Abu Simbel

2012-05-23T12:43:00.000-07:00

This photo gives you a good look of one of the temples at the temple of Abu Simbel, located 280 km (by road) from Aswan, in the southern Egypt region of Nubia. This is the temple dedicated to the pharaoh Ramesses II, and there is another temple just next door dedicated to his wife (which was a strong projection of her as a powerful queen, since typical statues of a queen show her coming to the knees of the pharaoh). In this photo, you see the size of the 4 large sitting statues, along with the tourists (looking much smaller than the statues) at the base of the statues.

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The damaged statue out of the 4 statues at the entrance to the Abu Simbel temple in Egypt

2012-05-22T04:36:00.000-07:00

There are these 4 huge statues at the entrance to the temple of Abu Simbel. These statues depict the great pharaoh Ramesses II (who is acknowledged as the most powerful known pharaoh of ancient Egypt) in the sitting position. The pharaoh is depicted wearing a double crown (that of the ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt), with the size of these sitting statues being 20 meters (which is huge). The statue in the middle (in this photo, it is actually the second statue from the left out of the total of 4 statues) was damaged in an earthquake, which caused the structure of the statue above the waist to fall, and can now be seen at the base of the statue.

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View of the smallish entrance to the Abu Simbel temple in the region of Nubia in Egypt

2012-05-21T04:18:00.000-07:00

The entrance to the Abu Simbel temple in the region of Nubia in south Egypt. The entrance to the temple is a small entrance, shorn of any immediate carving at the entrance (although there were these 4 huge statues just a few feet to the sides of the entrance). The entrance did not allow more than a person at a time to enter comfortably, and unfortunately for me, there was a warning that photography was not allowed inside the temple. You did not have to deposit your camera (like you have to do at the Valley of the Kings) at the entrance, but it is expected that you do not try to any photography inside the temple.

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The statues outside the entrance to the Abu Simbel temple with tourists at the base

2012-05-20T04:03:00.000-07:00

A view of the front section of the Abu Simbel temple in the region of Nubia in south Egypt. This is not the original shape of the temple, since this is not the original location of the temple. The temple was located at a lower level, but was supposed to be submerged after the rising of Lake Nasser post the construction of the Aswan Dam. As a result, the temple was moved in a massive engineering effort and moved to a higher level while retaining the structure of the inside and outside of the temple. The difference was that it was located in a domed structure after the movement, which is what you can see right now. The temple was constructed in the year 1244 BC (after an approximate time period of 20 years of construction). The temple was a projection of the pride of the great pharaoh Ramesses II, and also meant to showcase his grandeur to the people of Nubia.

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View of the temple of the Abu Simbel from a distance, giving an overall view

2012-05-19T03:29:00.000-07:00

A view of the domed structure that now contains the temple of Abu Simbel (or part of the structure, since the actual structure contains 2 temples); the area that is seen is the temple of the pharaoh Ramesses II, and to the right you can see a small part of the structure of the smaller temple, that of the primary queen Nefertari (who had an exalted status, given the presence of such a temple, since normally the queen would be just a much smaller statue coming upto the knees of the pharaoh). The Abu Simbel complex consists of 2 such temples, both of them moved from a lower point where they would have been submerged by the water (refer this link for images of the temple before the movement of the temple).

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Closer view of 2 of the huge sitting statues at the entrance to the Abu Simbel temple

2012-05-18T03:22:00.000-07:00

The statues at the entrance to the Abu Simbel statue are literally huge. They display the ancient and very powerful pharaoh Ramesses II, placing him at the same level as the gods, and the pharaoh did project themselves as being divine, giving them the authority to rule over the country of Egypt. In this photo, you are able to see 2 of these statues, and in total there are a total of 4 such statues. Out of the 4 such huge statues, 3 of them are in fairly good condition, with the remaining statue being in a state of damage, with the statue above the waist being pretty badly damaged.

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Boundary wall of the Abu Simbel temple in south Egypt

2012-05-17T03:05:00.000-07:00

There is a boundary wall all around the Abu Simbel temple, located at a small high above the surface of Lake Nasser. Given the worries about the security situation in Egypt from around a decade ago, when there were attacks on tourists by radical Islamist groups. The attacks had a huge negative impact on the very important tourist industry of Egypt, leading to an effort to ensure much more security. There is now a police presence at all tourist locations, and this is visible to ensure that there is a feeling of a much higher security level for everybody. The metal fence would be a part of this security.

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View of the statues outside the Abu Simbel temple along with tourists

2012-05-16T02:54:00.000-07:00

A view of the overall structure of the Abu Simbel temple located in south Egypt. Even though this particular tourist destination is one of the most isolated of the popular tourist destinations (located 280 km in terms of road distance from the city of Aswan), there are a number of people who come to see the place. You can visit the Abu Simbel temple through a flight (landing at the Abu Simbel airport), or via road (the most popular way to get here - travel in a convoy that leaves twice a day from Aswan (convoy and regulated time is because of security reasons)), or travel on a cruise ship from Aswan, which takes around 3 days on Lake Nasser. Once you get here, you see these 4 huge statues in a seated position, lording it over the tourists coming to visit the place, and in between the statues, there is an entrance where you can enter inside the temple.

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Tourists outside the Abu Simbel temple in south Egypt, at the shore of Lake Nasser

2012-05-15T02:52:00.000-07:00

The Abu Simbel temple is located at the shore of the Lake Nasser (formed by the construction of the High Dam at Aswan, around 280 kilometeres away). During the construction of the dam, it was realized that the formation of the huge lake behind the dam will cause the submergence of the temple, and an international effort was undertaken to ensure that this world heritage building was saved, and the entire structure was moved stone by stone to a higher spot, where a hill was built with space inside for the temple, and the huge statues were placed in front. In addition, the temple was re-done such that the light coming into the temple at a specific time period every year was also retained. A number of tourists come to this place, both due to the magnificence of the temple as well as the engineering effort that was taken to save the temple.

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Tourists at the entrance to the Abu Simbel temple in south Egypt

2012-05-11T11:34:00.000-07:00

A number of tourists at the entrance to the Abu Simbel temple in South Egypt. Even though the Abu Simbel temple is located far away from Aswan, it is very popular and a large number of tourists do try to get there. Once you get there however, the whole view of the temple and the surrounding can be done in 2-3 hours (and by road, it takes 3 hours to get there and 3 hours to get back). But you get a sense of awe at the location, based on the structure of the temple and the engineering effort it took to move the temple to a safer location (as it was going to go under the water with the increase in water levels with the construction of the Aswan dam).

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Statue on the wall above the entrance of the Abu Simbel temple in south Egypt

2012-05-10T11:00:00.000-07:00

This is a statue located on top of the entrance to the Abu Simbel temple located in South Egypt. The temple can be reached from Aswan, through multiple ways (you can there through flight, you can get there through a convoy that starts from Aswan, or you can get there on a cruise on Lake Nasser from the city of Aswan). This is most likely a statue of the pharaoh (but somebody other than me would need to confirm this). I do not have a confirmation on this one, and my guide when we were visiting the temple was a trainee, unable to provide this information.

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Statue located above the entrance to the Abu Simbel temple in south Egypt

2012-05-09T11:25:00.000-07:00

A view of a statue located above the entrance to the Abu Simbel temple in south Egypt. The statue looks to be fairly good condition, with the temple being around 34 centuries old (from the time of the reign of the pharaoh Ramesses II). From the photo, it is not apparent, but the statue is located at a bit of height, not at ground level. It was interesting to see such a statue, actually built inside inside the wall rather than being placed in front of the wall. Next to the statue, you can see some more graphics, depicting some events from the pharaoh's life.

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View of the entrance to the structure of the Abu Simbel temple along with statues on either side

2012-05-08T10:34:00.000-07:00

This is a view of the structure of the front of the Abu Simbel temple in south Egypt, located at a distance of 280 km from Aswan. In the photo, you can also see the top part of the hill inside which the temple has been constructed. This photo gives you a great view of the front section of the temple (partial) with a view of 2 of the statues of the sitting pharaoh (there are 2 more statues that are not seen in this photo). One of the statues is broken above the waist, being the only statue that is so damaged (the other 3 large statues are still in a pretty good condition).

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The entrance to the Abu Simbel temple along with a statue above the entrance

2012-05-07T10:28:00.000-07:00

A view of the entrance to the Abu Simbel temple in south Egypt. When you look at the entrance to the temple, it seems a bit rough, but when you look closely, the side part of the entrance remains as fine as ever, it is near the top that the condition looks a bit degraded. Located high above the entrance, there seems the statue of the pharaoh (although it requires somebody more experienced to be able to say what the actual sculpture shows). Given the age of the structure, it seems remarkable as to how well preserved the structure is.

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Statues to the left of the corridor inside the Abu Simbel entrance in Egypt

2012-05-06T10:19:00.000-07:00

This is a view of the corridor inside the Abu Simbel temple in south Egypt, soon after entering through the narrow entrance. Once you enter through the entrance, there is a corridor with statues lined both to the left and to the right of the path (with the statues being part of the walls). It looks very imposing, with these statues towering over the tourists who enter the temple. As per the policy shown at the entrance of the temple, photography is not allowed inside the temple (once you go in through the entrance), so capturing the beauty inside the temple was not permissible.

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View of the ceiling paintings at the temple of Abu Simbel in Egypt

2012-05-05T08:18:00.000-07:00

A view of some of the paintings on the ceiling of the corridor just inside the entrance of the Abu Simbel temple in south Egypt. The temple was constructed by the great pharaoh Ramesses II as another way of portraying his power and strength, and also a way to show to visitors from the south that "here is the kingdom of a great and powerful monarch, think about attacking at your own peril". This is the maximum that one can take a photo of, with this photograph being taken from beyond the open entrance, and you are not allowed to do any photography inside the entrance to the temple.

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Tourists sitting on a bench near the water of Lake Nasser next to the Abu Simbel temple in Egypt

2012-05-04T08:14:00.000-07:00

The temple of Abu Simbel is located right next to the river Nile, or rather the huge reservoir of Lake Nasser. Due to the construction of the Dam at Aswan, the rising water levels due to the reservoir behind the dam was going to submerge the structure where the temple of Abu Simbel was originally constructed. In order to save the temple, there was a huge engineering effort done to move the temple, and the present location where the temple is now located was after the movement of the temple. In this photo, you can see tourists seated on a bench next to the temple, where you can see a view of the water of the lake behind.

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Tourists and the statues inside the Abu Simbel temple in Egypt

2012-05-01T21:35:00.000-07:00

A view of some of the large statues inside the Abu Simbel temple in South Egypt. These are statues that are lining the inside corridor of the Abu Simbel temple just from the entrance of the temple. You can get an idea of the size of these statues (lining the walls of the temple) when you look at the scale of the tourists in the same photo. Since there was a restriction in carrying your camera inside the temple, these were the only view that I could from the outside. However, I could also see many photos of the inside of the temple on many sites, so was wondering whether these photography restrictions were new, or people anyhow took photos inside.

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Two of the large statues outside the great temple of Abu Simbel in south Egypt

2012-04-30T10:29:00.000-07:00

The great temple of Abu Simbel in South Egypt (located along the Nile (rather, on the shore of the huge Lake Nasser), at a distance of 280 km from the city of Aswan) has 4 huge statues of the Pharaoh in a sitting position on the outside of the temple. One of those statues is somewhat damaged, but in this photo, you can see 2 of the statues, and these are in a fairly good condition. You stand at the foot of these statues and admire their size, wondering about how these were built 34 centuries in the past and still stand there in such a good condition, producing admiration in the people who see these statues now.

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The passage way in front of the entrance to the Abu Simbel temple in Egypt

2012-04-29T10:20:00.000-07:00

The passage way in front of the entrance of the Abu Simbel temple in south Egypt. The photo was taken standing right in front of the entrance to the temple, and since most people were only worried about going inside the temple, there was not a single tourist just a few feet away from the entrance to the temple. Some of the structures over there are decayed and have suffered damage over the many centuries that the temple has been in existence.

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Tourists at the shore of Lake Nasser at the Abu Simbel temple in Egypt

2012-04-28T10:19:00.000-07:00

Tourists at the shore of Lake Nasser in Abu Simbel. The temple is located right at the edge of the Lake, and for those who were not aware of the history of the temple, the temple was built by the Great Pharaoh Ramesses II as a mark of his magnificence, and to intimidate travelers from the south. Then, in recent times, with the construction of the Great Dam on the Nile at Aswan, there would be a huge reservoir created which would submerge the temple. So an engineering effort was launched to take apart the temple and move it stone by stone to a higher location and save it, taking it to the current location.

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Statues lining the inner passage of the Abu Simbel temple in Egypt

2012-04-28T04:19:00.000-07:00

As you enter the doorway of the Abu Simbel statue in lower Egypt (located at a distance of 280 km away from the nearest city of Aswan), there are a series of statues lining the inner passage (since there was a restriction in shooting photos inside the temple premises, this was the most I could shoot from outside the doorway of the temple). There was a great feeling of grandeur when inside the temple, both due to the age of the temple, and also because of the incredible engineering feat involved in the movement of the temple, stone by stone, from a lower level.

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