Abu Simbel

(Baden's 1999 Mediterranean Jaunt / Overview)

Fuji Superia 400 / Pentax ESPIO 90MC (1999-12-01 6:20)
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We got up at 3:30, and left the Aswan airport at 5:00 for the one hour 737 flight to Abu Simbel. We were at the temple before dawn, so I was able to take this photo about 30 seconds after the first daylight at 6:20. The temples were quite large (20 m), as you can just see people's heads in front, and the scale was even bigger after a tour through the big concrete dome which supported the whole relocated monument. It was moved in the 1960's from the Nile valley down below which was flooded behind the Aswan High Dam forming Lake Nassar.

The amazing thing about this temple on the left bank, was that the original designers and astronomers were able to construct the temple to exacting specifications. The temple was built by King Ramses II 3300 years ago, and his likeness is the second from the right, next to Amon-Re, to the left are Re-Horakhte, and Ptah, the king of Darkness. The exact same figures are replicated on a smaller scale deep inside the temple in a shrine about 2 m high. On only two days during the year, Ramses II coronation date and his birth date, the morning sun shone straight into the temple and lit up only the three right figures, missing the the King of Darkness. Modern engineers were unable to perfectly replicate the dimensions, and the dates are now a day off.

The head fell off from Re-Horakhte about 1300 years ago, as there was a big crack in the rock.

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