Abu Simbel history

Foundation and First Mentions

The history of Abu Simbel is rooted in the New Kingdom era of Ancient Egypt. This place did not emerge as a typical settlement but was conceived as a grand religious and monumental complex. Construction of the famous rock-cut temples began approximately in 1264 BC by order of Pharaoh Ramesses II.

The complex was created to immortalize the Pharaoh's victories and assert Egyptian influence in the Nubia region. The first mentions are associated with the dedication of the temples to the great gods of Egypt and the deified ruler himself.

Key Factors of Development

The development of Abu Simbel as a significant point on the map of the ancient world was determined by several strategic circumstances:

• Geographic Location: Its location on the banks of the Nile in Nubia made this place an ideal outpost for controlling the southern borders and water trade routes leading from the depths of Africa.
• Political Demonstration: The giant statues on the facade served as a powerful tool of propaganda, designed to inspire awe in travellers and Nubian tribes, demonstrating the indestructible power of the Pharaoh.
• Sacred Geology: The choice of location was not accidental — the rock in which the temples were carved was already considered sacred by the local inhabitants even before the arrival of Ramesses' builders.

Early Cultural and Economic Features

Unlike trading cities, the early "economy" of Abu Simbel was built around serving the cult and the garrison.

• Cultural Phenomenon: The temples became the pinnacle of Egyptian engineering art. Architects calculated the orientation of the Great Temple so that twice a year (in October and February), sunbeams would penetrate the sanctuary and illuminate the statues of the gods.
• Religious Centre: The complex functioned as a place of worship for Amun, Ra-Horakhty, and Ptah. Nearby, the Small Temple was erected, dedicated to the goddess Hathor and Queen Nefertari, which was an extremely rare case of exalting a Pharaoh's spouse.
• Resource Base: The vital activity of the temple complex was ensured by supplies from central Egypt and tribute from the conquered Nubian lands.

Key Milestones in the History of Abu Simbel

• Approx. 1264 BC – Pharaoh Ramesses II begins the construction of the grand temple complex in Nubia to immortalize his victory in the Battle of Kadesh.
• Approx. 1244 BC – Construction of the Great and Small Temples is completed, becoming a symbol of Egyptian power on the southern borders.
• 6th Century BC – The temples fall into neglect, and desert sands gradually cover the colossal statues almost up to their heads.
• 1813 – Swiss traveller Johann Ludwig Burckhardt rediscovers the upper part of the Great Temple's facade protruding from the sand.
• 1817 – Italian explorer Giovanni Belzoni clears the entrance of drifts and becomes the first European to enter the sanctuary.
• 1960 – UNESCO announces an international campaign to save the monuments of Nubia from the threat of flooding by the waters of the Aswan High Dam under construction.
• 1964 – An unprecedented engineering operation begins, during which the temples are carefully cut into blocks weighing up to 30 tonnes.
• 1968 – Relocation and reassembly of the complex is completed at a new site, located 65 metres higher and 200 metres further from the Nile bank.
• 1979 – Abu Simbel is officially included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as an outstanding monument of ancient architecture.
• 2018 – Egypt solemnly celebrates the 50th anniversary of the successful completion of the operation to save and relocate the legendary temples.

Stages of Development and Transformation

The history of Abu Simbel is a journey from a sacred outpost on the border of an ancient civilization to a centre of global tourism. The key milestones in the territory's development are connected not only with the era of the Pharaohs but also with the grand engineering and economic transformations of the 20th century that shaped the modern appearance of the site.

• Monumental Construction in Nubia (13th Century BC): The creation of the temples became an act of political and urban expansion. This turned a remote territory into a strategic ideological centre, securing the presence of Egyptian administration and culture in the region.
• Archaeological Revival (19th Century): Clearing the temples from centuries of sand launched the development of scientific tourism. Abu Simbel ceased to be a forgotten legend and began to attract European expeditions, which stimulated the development of navigation and logistics along the Nile.
• Engineering Relocation (1964–1968): The most massive transformation in the object's history. Moving the temples not only saved them from flooding but also created a new artificial landscape. The construction of a reinforced concrete dome mimicking the natural rock became a unique example of the synthesis of ancient architecture and modern engineering.
• International Recognition (1979): Inclusion of the complex in the UNESCO World Heritage list ensured a constant flow of attention and investment, finally securing Abu Simbel's status as one of the main brands of Egyptian tourism.
• Transport Revolution (End of the 20th Century): The construction of Abu Simbel Airport and a high-quality road from Aswan radically changed the location's economy. From a hard-to-reach place, the complex turned into an object of mass visitation, accessible for comfortable day excursions.
• Urbanization and Service Economy: A modern settlement has formed around the museum complex. The city's economy (with a population of about 2,000 people) is today fully reoriented towards serving guests: hotels, guest houses, and catering infrastructure have been built, providing employment for the local population.

Ancient Egyptian Architecture: New Kingdom

The architectural core of Abu Simbel was formed during the heyday of ancient Egyptian civilization. It is a unique example of rock-cut architecture designed to demonstrate the Pharaoh's greatness on the state's southern frontiers.

• Historical Era: New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty (13th Century BC).
• Architectural Style: Rock-cut temple (speos).
• Characteristic Features:
  • Monumentalism: Gigantism of forms, designed to suppress and inspire awe. The facades imitate the entrance pylons of land-based temples but are carved directly into the sandstone massif.
  • Synthesis of Sculpture and Architecture: The main architectural elements of the facades are not columns or cornices, but colossal statues.
  • Solar Orientation: The layout of the internal halls is strictly subordinated to astronomical calculations for the penetration of sunlight into the sanctuary.
• Iconic Structures:
  • Great Temple of Ramesses II: Known for four 20-metre seated colossi on the facade and a hypostyle hall with Osiride pillars.
  • Small Temple of Nefertari: Unique in that the Queen's statues on the facade have the same height as the Pharaoh's statues, which is atypical for the Egyptian canon.

Modern Engineering Architecture and Reconstruction

The second most important layer in the site's appearance appeared in the 20th century. This is a rare case where the landscape and the "mountain" housing the temples are a man-made architectural structure.

• Historical Era: Second half of the 20th century (1964–1968).
• Style: Engineering functionalism, hidden architecture.
• Urban Planning Solution: Creation of an artificial hill to simulate the natural environment of the relocated temples.
• Key Object:
  • Reinforced Concrete Dome: A powerful concrete shell with a span of about 60 metres was erected over the internal temple spaces. It bears the load of the fill soil that forms the external "rock," protecting the ancient interiors.

Urbanism of the Modern Settlement

The residential part of Abu Simbel (population about 2,000 people) represents a modern formation that does not have an ancient urban layout.

• Style: Modern utilitarian, Neo-Nubian style.
• Development: The city developed linearly along the transport arteries connecting the airport and the temple complex.
• Appearance of Development:
  • Residential quarters consist of simple low-rise buildings.
  • Tourist infrastructure (hotels, lodges) is often stylized as traditional Nubian dwellings: domed roofs, arched vaults, and a characteristic colour scheme (ochre, terracotta) are used to harmonize with the desert landscape.

Creators of the Complex (Ancient Egypt)

• Ramesses II the Great — Pharaoh of the 19th Dynasty.
  Initiator and patron of the grand complex's construction. He erected the temples to immortalize his victory in the Battle of Kadesh, assert Egypt's power over Nubia, and deify his own persona while still alive.
• Nefertari Merenmut — Principal Wife of the Pharaoh (Great Royal Wife).
  The only queen in Ancient Egypt to whom a separate temple of such scale (the Small Temple of Abu Simbel) was dedicated during her husband's lifetime. Her statues on the facade are depicted equal in size to those of the Pharaoh himself, emphasizing her exceptional status.
• Setau — King's Son of Kush (Viceroy of Nubia).
  A high-ranking official who governed the Nubian territories in the second half of Ramesses II's reign. He was responsible for the administration of the region and likely oversaw the final stages of work and the maintenance of the temple complex.

Discoverers and Explorers (19th Century)

• Johann Ludwig Burckhardt — Swiss orientalist and traveller.
  The man who rediscovered Abu Simbel for the Western world. In 1813, he discovered the upper part of the Great Temple's frieze sticking out of the sands but could not find the entrance inside.
• Giovanni Battista Belzoni — Italian adventurer and engineer.
  In 1817, inspired by Burckhardt's account, he organized an expedition, managed to clear the entrance of centuries-old sand drifts, and became the first European of the modern era to step inside the sanctuary.
• Amelia Edwards — British writer and Egyptologist.
  Visited the temples in 1874. Her vivid descriptions of Abu Simbel in the book "A Thousand Miles up the Nile" played a huge role in popularizing this place among European tourists of the Victorian era.

Figures of the Rescue Era (20th Century)

• Christiane Desroches Noblecourt — French Egyptologist, Louvre curator.
  The main ideological inspirer of the international campaign to save the Nubian monuments. It was she who convinced the global community and UNESCO of the need for an unprecedented operation to relocate the temples to save them from flooding by the waters of Lake Nasser.
• Vittorino Veronese — Director-General of UNESCO (1958–1961).
  Officially launched the international campaign in 1960, calling on the countries of the world to pool financial and technical resources to save the heritage of Abu Simbel, calling it a "debt of all mankind."