Abu Simbel temples

E19505
ancient Egyptian temple archaeological site rock-cut temple complex

The Abu Simbel temples are monumental rock-cut temples in southern Egypt built by Pharaoh Ramesses II, renowned for their colossal statues and relocation to save them from flooding by the Aswan High Dam.

Jump to: Surface forms Statements Referenced by

Observed surface forms (7)

Surface form Occurrences
Abu Simbel 5
Abu Simbel temple reliefs 1
Great Temple of Ramesses II 1

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf ancient Egyptian temple ⓘ
archaeological site ⓘ
rock-cut temple complex ⓘ
builtBy Ramesses II ⓘ
constructionEndDate circa 1244 BC ⓘ
constructionStartDate circa 1264 BC ⓘ
country Egypt ⓘ
culturalSignificance symbol of ancient Egyptian power in Nubia ⓘ
dedicatedTo Ramesses II ⓘ
Amun ⓘ
surface form: god Amun-Ra

Horus ⓘ
surface form: god Ra-Horakhty

Hathor ⓘ
surface form: goddess Hathor

Isis ⓘ
surface form: goddess Isis
discoveredByEuropeans Johann Ludwig Burckhardt ⓘ
dynasty Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt ⓘ
era 13th century BC ⓘ
EuropeanRediscoveryDate 1813 ⓘ
excavationType rock-cut ⓘ
facesDirection east ⓘ
firstEntranceClearedBy Giovanni Battista Belzoni ⓘ
firstEntranceClearedDate 1817 ⓘ
hasFeature four colossal seated statues on facade of Great Temple ⓘ
relocated artificial hill covering temples ⓘ
rock-cut hypostyle halls ⓘ
hasPart Abu Simbel temples self-linksurface differs ⓘ
surface form: Great Temple of Ramesses II

Small Temple of Hathor and Nefertari ⓘ
locatedIn Aswan Governorate ⓘ
Nubia ⓘ
Upper Egypt ⓘ
surface form: southern Egypt
locatedNear Lake Nasser ⓘ
Sudan border ⓘ
material sandstone ⓘ
nearSettlement Abu Simbel town ⓘ
notableFor colossal seated statues of Ramesses II ⓘ
relocation to avoid flooding by Aswan High Dam ⓘ
originallyCarvedInto sandstone cliff ⓘ
partOf UNESCO World Heritage Site Nubian Monuments ⓘ
period New Kingdom of Egypt ⓘ
protectionStatus UNESCO World Heritage Site ⓘ
surface form: UNESCO World Heritage
region Lower Nubia ⓘ
relocatedBetween 1964–1968 ⓘ
relocationCoordinatedBy UNESCO ⓘ
relocationReason creation of Lake Nasser ⓘ
solarAlignment twice-yearly illumination of inner sanctuary ⓘ
solarAlignmentDates around February 22 and October 22 ⓘ
style ancient Egyptian architecture ⓘ
touristAttraction major ⓘ
UNESCOWorldHeritageSiteSince 1979 ⓘ

Referenced by (21)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Temple of Derr → associatedWith → Abu Simbel temples ⓘ
this entity surface form: Nubian temples of Ramesses II
Ramesses II → built → Abu Simbel temples ⓘ
this entity surface form: Great Temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel
Aswan Governorate → containsArchaeologicalSite → Abu Simbel temples ⓘ
Aswan Governorate → containsCity → Abu Simbel temples ⓘ
this entity surface form: Abu Simbel
Egyptians → famousMonumentCulture → Abu Simbel temples ⓘ
Ancient Egyptian art → hasCanonicalExample → Abu Simbel temples ⓘ
this entity surface form: Abu Simbel temple reliefs
Egypt → hasFamousSite → Abu Simbel temples ⓘ
Nile Valley → hasMajorArchaeologicalSite → Abu Simbel temples ⓘ
Lower Nubia → hasMajorSite → Abu Simbel temples ⓘ
this entity surface form: Abu Simbel
ancient city of Memphis → hasNotableMonument → Abu Simbel temples ⓘ
subject surface form: Memphis (ancient city)
this entity surface form: colossus of Ramesses II
Abu Simbel temples → hasPart → Abu Simbel temples self-linksurface differs ⓘ
this entity surface form: Great Temple of Ramesses II
Nubia → hasTemple → Abu Simbel temples ⓘ
this entity surface form: Temple of Abu Simbel
Wadi es-Sebua → locatedBetween → Abu Simbel temples ⓘ
this entity surface form: Abu Simbel
Qasr Ibrim → locatedNear → Abu Simbel temples ⓘ
this entity surface form: Abu Simbel
Lake Nasser → near → Abu Simbel temples ⓘ
Lower Nubia → sawRelocationOf → Abu Simbel temples ⓘ
this entity surface form: Abu Simbel