Tourists in front of the temple of the royal queen, Nefertari, at Abu Simbel in south egypt

Most visitors who have not been to the temple of Abu Simbel (located in the southern part of Egypt, about 280 km by road from the city of Aswan) know that this was a temple built by the great Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II, as a monument to his power. However, it is typically only those who have traveled there who know that the temple actually has 2 parts, one honoring the pharaoh, and the other honoring his chief consort, the Royal Queen Nefertari. She had her own temple, and this was actually very remarkable since queens were not expected to have such a prominent position in terms of public displays. Her temple is known as the small temple, officially called the temple of Hathor and Nefertari.

The Mysteries of Abu Simbel: Ramesses II	View Larger Map

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