Abu Simbel is a village lying 280 km south of Aswan and only 40 km north of the Sudanese border. It is a very small settlement with very little to attract visitors other than its great temples for which it is famous. Few tourists linger for more than a few hours, although there are 5 hotels to attract visitors to stay the night.

The temples at Abu Simbel were formerly located further down the hillside, facing the Nile in the same relative positions, but due to the rising waters of Lake Nasser, the original locations are underwater. In the 1960's, each temple was carefully sawed into numbered stone cubes, moved uphill, and reassembled before the water rose.

The Great Temple of Ramses II was reassembled fronting a fake mountain, built like a domed basketball court, where the stone cubes occupy a section under the dome; from outside, the fake mountain looks like solid rock.

Archaeologists have concluded that the immense sizes of the statues in the Great Temple were intended to scare potential enemies approaching Egypt's southern region, as they travelled down the Nile from out of Africa.

 

The town of Abu Simbel is small enough to navigate on foot.

Few people actually stay in Abu Simbel as most opt for the day-trip from Aswan (departing at either 4am or 11am). If taking the 4am convoy, be sure to ask your hotel in advance for a breakfast box to go (assuming that breakfast is included with your hotel, they'll be happy to do this free of charge). Despite the pain of such an early journey, Abu Simbel is absolutely worth the trek - after seeing the magnanimous temples here, the pyramids will even seem less majestic to you.

 

Visitors might need to bring their own snacks and beverages, due to the length of the journey and the limited time at Abu Simbel. There are many cafes along the main road. Prices are high due to the number of tourists.

 

Do not swim in Lake Nasser at all even if told it will be safe because of the Nile crocodiles habitat.