Tourists coming in from the cruise ship towards the temple of Abu Simbel in south Egypt

Tourists can arrive at the Abu Simbel temple through road (a straight and normally deserted road with convoys scheduled to move from Aswan to Abu Simbel twice a day for security concerns), or through plane, with a small airport at Abu Simbel. Tourists also arrive here through cruise ships that set out from Aswan, taking a leisurely 3 day trip across the massive Lake Nasser and reaching at Abu Simbel, from where the passengers can then get back to Aswan after visiting the temple. This is a photo of tourists coming from the cruise ship towards the entry point of the Abu Simbel temple.

The Mysteries of Abu Simbel: Ramesses II	View Larger Map

tourist canvas prints

Security personnel reading some stuff at the wall at the border of the Abu Simbel in Egypt

Security is of paramount importance to the Egyptian tourist industry. Before the recent political turmoil in the country, tourism employed a huge number of people and contributed many billions of dollars to the Egyptian economy. A number of terror attacks on tourists some years back threatened all this, and there was a need to ensure much more security for the tourist industry. As a result, security measures were implemented all over.

The Mysteries of Abu Simbel: Ramesses II	View Larger Map

tourist prints

View of tourist ship beyond the security fence of the Abu Simbel temple in Egypt

Tourists can arrive at the Abu Simbel temple through the road way (with convoys scheduled to move from Aswan to Abu Simbel twice a day for security concerns), or through flight, with a small airport at Abu Simbel. Tourists also arrive here through cruise ships that set out from Aswan, taking a leisurely 3 day trip across the massive Lake Nasser and reaching at Abu Simbel, from where the passengers can then get back to Aswan after visiting the temple.

The Mysteries of Abu Simbel: Ramesses II	View Larger Map

tourist framed prints

Security office on duty near the Abu Simbel temple in south Egypt

Security in Egypt is a big factor for ensuring that the tourism industry remains strong, although the recent political turmoil in the country has already hit the tourism industry. During the past 2 decades, there were terror attacks on tourists in the country, leading to the deaths of many tourists, and these had a pretty bad impact on tourism. As a result, there was a lot more focus on ensuring that tourists are safe, with tourism police being setup at all tourist locations.

The Mysteries of Abu Simbel: Ramesses II	View Larger Map

tourist greeting cards

The hillock which contains the temple of Abu Simbel in south Egypt

This is the tall hillock that actually comprises the temple of Abu Simbel in south Egypt. The temple was originally located at a lower level, but the rise in the water level because of the formation of the reservoir due to the construction of the huge dam at Aswan threatened the temple. As a result, there was a massive engineering effort to remove the temple from its lower location, and placed at the current location.

The Mysteries of Abu Simbel: Ramesses II	View Larger Map

tourist posters

Muslim men offering prayers near the temple of Abu Simbel in Egypt

Egypt is an Islamic country, and the people are fairly comfortable with their religious duties. For Muslims, prayer to Allah, with them kneeling in a direction that points to Mecca is a part of their religious duty. In this photo, you can see the Muslim staff of the tourist location of Abu Simbel doing their prayers; all they need to do is to take off their footwear, do ablutions to purify themselves, and then use a sheet to kneel and complete their prayers.

The Mysteries of Abu Simbel: Ramesses II	View Larger Map

tourist metal prints

Access door in the back side of the hillock containing the temple of Abu Simbel in south Egypt

The hillock containing the temple of Abu Simbel was constructed much later, this was not the original creation during the time of the pharaoh. When the temple was constructed, it was at a much lower level and was going to be submerged due to the formation of the Lake Nasser with the construction of the dam at Aswan. As a result, the temple was moved in a massive engineering and restoration project to a higher level where it would be safe from the water levels.

The Mysteries of Abu Simbel: Ramesses II	View Larger Map

water acrylic prints

Cruise ship coming in to the Abu Simbel temple in south Egypt over the water

There are multiple ways to visit the temple of Abu Simbel in south Egypt. Most people go there by road, with convoys heading there twice a day; there is an airport for those who come in through plane, and others can take a ship from Aswan over Lake Nasser to the place. This is a photo of a cruise ship coming in from Aswan after a leisurely trip over the waters of the lake.

The Mysteries of Abu Simbel: Ramesses II	View Larger Map

Small island in the water near the Abu Simbel temple in south Egypt

The temple of Abu Simbel is located very near the shore of the water, of the lake formed by the creation of the Dam on the river Nile at Aswan. Near the shore, the water levels can be low, and there are a number of small islands. Here is a small island located near the shore, and there are many other such islands in the region.

The Mysteries of Abu Simbel: Ramesses II	View Larger Map

water photos

The huge statues at Abu Simbel along with tourists at the base of the statues

A photo of the huge statues at the entrance to the temple of Abu Simbel in south Egypt, in the area of Nubia. These are huge statues, showing the sitting pharaoh, the great Ramesses II. He had built this temple as a symbol of his greatness, his status as a living god, and also to show to the visitors from the south about the greatness of the Egyptian nation. This temple also became very famous because it was moved from a lower location in order to avoid getting submerged under higher water levels created due to the construction of a large dam at Aswan.

The Mysteries of Abu Simbel: Ramesses II	View Larger Map

water canvas prints

Muslim men at prayer right next to Abu Simbel in Egypt

Egypt is an Islamic country, and the people are fairly comfortable with their religious duties. For Muslims, prayer to Allah, with them kneeling in a direction that points to Mecca is a part of their religious duty. In this photo, you can see the Muslim staff of the tourist location of Abu Simbel doing their prayers; all they need to do is to take off their footwear, do ablutions to purify themselves, and then use a sheet to kneel and complete their prayers.

The Mysteries of Abu Simbel: Ramesses II	View Larger Map

water metal prints

Tourists standing outside the smaller temple at Abu Simbel in south Egypt

The twin temples at Abu Simbel are magnificent temples, being 2 temples dedicated to the pharaoh and his wife. In this photo, you can see statues at the entrance to the temple, being very large statues. These statues represent the pharaoh and his wife, which was remarkable since typically the statue of a pharaoh's wife is never shown as the same size of the pharaoh. In the photo, you can see just a few tourists standing a bit of distance from the entrance to the temple.

The Mysteries of Abu Simbel: Ramesses II	View Larger Map

water posters

Two of the huge statues at the Abu Simbel temple in south Egypt at the entrance

The temple of Abu Simbel is a magnificent temple, located in south Egypt. At the entrance to the temple, there are 4 large statues, with 2 statues being located on either side of the entrance. This photo shows the statues on one side of the entrance doorway, with the hillock containing the temple. The temple is very old, dating back to the time of the pharaoh Ramesses II from the 14th century BC, and the temple remains in fairly good condition.

The Mysteries of Abu Simbel: Ramesses II	View Larger Map

water framed prints

Wide view of landscape with a solitary security guard visible, at Abu Simbel in Egypt

The security situation in Egypt was very tense some years back, when there were a few terrorist attacks on tourists and many of them also died in these attacks, which caused huge damage to the tourism industry. After that, there was a lot of emphasis on ensuring the protection of tourists with a special tourist security force being setup, and this was effective in ensuring much more security to the tourism industry. For example, for Abu Simbel, tourists are allowed to go there on regular convoys, and not allowed to venture on their own.

The Mysteries of Abu Simbel: Ramesses II	View Larger Map

water prints

Carvings on top of a pillar at the Abu Simbel temple in Egypt

These are the hieroglyphs at the top of a pillar on the entrance wall of the Abu Simbel temple in south Egypt. The Abu Simbel temple was built in south Egypt as a means of projecting the power of the great Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II, especially to visitors from the south who were coming on the river Nile. The current position of the temple is after the massive engineering project of the 1960's, when it was clear that the temple would be submerged by the rising water of the Lake Nasser caused by the construction of the mega dam at Aswan and it was restored at a higher location.

The Mysteries of Abu Simbel: Ramesses II	View Larger Map

water greeting cards

The four statues of the temple of Abu Simbel along with the entrance to the inner area

This is one of the most famous views in south Egypt, the temple of Abu Simbel. Once you are done with the pyramids, the sphinx, and even the valley of the kings, and move further south, you reach the city of Aswan. A further 280 km south from there, you reach the temple of Abu Simbel, a world famous temple, famous for its size, and for the massive engineering feat of moving it from a lower position to the current position, so as to save it from the rising water of Lake Nasser.

The Mysteries of Abu Simbel: Ramesses II	View Larger Map

greenery photos

View of one of the statues of the Abu Simbel temple in south Egypt

A view showing the partial structure of one of the statues at The Temple of Abu Simbel in south Egypt. These are huge statues, towering over tourists present at the site (not seen in this photo though). What I like about this photo is the light coming from the side of the hillock, giving a good color to the side of the hillock. The temple is now in the location where it was constructed, since it was moved to the current location in order to prevent it from being drowned under the rising water of Lake Nasser reservoir.

The Mysteries of Abu Simbel: Ramesses II	View Larger Map

greenery framed prints

A hut covered by a sheet of bamboos at Abu Simbel in Egypt

This is a hut near the parking area of the Abu Simbel temple tourist complex in south Egypt. What was remarkable about this was that very rarely have I seen a hut having a roof made from bamboos (I have seen hut roofs made using the thatches of palm tress, but using bamboo poles was remarkable). Unfortunately, there was no respite from heat and it remained hot in the hut, under the bamboo poles, so I could not figure out why the hut was covered such.

The Mysteries of Abu Simbel: Ramesses II	View Larger Map

greenery prints

Part of the inscriptions on the exterior walls of the temple at Abu Simbel in south Egypt

It is always remarkable when you consider how the marks made by humans survive for so long. In this photo, you are able to some of the inscriptions made on the exterior walls of the Abu Simbel, near the top portion of the sitting statues, and you have to consider that these were chiseled into the stone during the time of the great pharaoh Ramesses II, almost 34-35 centuries back, and even now, these are so cleanly visible. It may have helped that almost the entire monument had been buried in sand, and was extract only a century back when discovers were lead here by a young boy.

The Mysteries of Abu Simbel: Ramesses II	View Larger Map

greenery acrylic prints

Mass of tourists in front of the main temple at Abu Simbel in south Egypt

Out of the photos that I have, this is probably the photo with the maximum number of tourists in it. In this photo, you can see tourists in front of the entrance to the temple, sitting on a bench (and many of them getting their photos taken at some specific locations) along with people at the base of the huge tourists (and when you seem them like this, they seem incredibly huge and over-powering as compared to the size of people in front).

The Mysteries of Abu Simbel: Ramesses II	View Larger Map

greenery canvas prints