Hidden Gems
Port Said
Abu Simbel is considerably a small village that lies about 280 km south of Aswan and only 40 km north of the Sudanese border. This small village with very little to attract tourists and traveleres other than its two great temples for which it is very famous.
Although there are some decent hotels that can accommodate visitors, most travelers prefer to get an over-day trip from Aswan or Cairo where they spend 3-4 hours to tour the temple of Abu Simble which is surely one of the most fabulous wonders of ancient Egypt.
Constructed in the middle of the 13th century BC, Ramses II, the builder of the two temples and many other important constructions of ancient Egypt, with this huge structure, he wanted to reflect his greatness to the inhabitants of Nubia and also to document the victory he achieved after defeating the Hittites in the Battle of Qadesh.
The two rock-cut temples were originally located to the south of the city of Aswan. However, with the construction of the High Dam in the 1960s, the Abu Simble Temples, together with seven other temples of Nubia had to be relocated.
A very famous legend says that the temple and later on, the city was named Abu Simble after a local guy who was said led the archaeologists to discover the complex. A trip to Abu Simble is extremely recommended to any tourists who are fond of ancient Egyptian architecture, natural scenery, and Pharaonic history.
