Security check point on the trip from Aswan to Abu Simbel in Egypt

Abu Simbel is a very significant tourist destination for people visiting Egypt, located in the southern part of Egypt. The tourist destination is located in a remote area, and it takes around 2.5 - 3 hours of drive to reach Abu Simbel from the nearest big location (Aswan) (although you can also get there by ship and by plane). Since the location and the route is very isolated, there are security risks and hence there are more security personnel and security officers on route. In fact, the entire travel is done on convoys that set out from Aswan at 2 different times in the day. This photo is of a security check point on the route.

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Security personnel outside the entrance of the Abu Simbel temple in south Egypt

For the last many years, Egypt has been focusing on ensuring that there is a high level of security in the tourist sites in the country, ever since there were some terrorist attacks that claimed the life of many foreign tourists in Cairo and at Queen Hatshepsut's temple in the 1990's. As a result, in order to save the tourism industry, the security infrastructure had been enhanced all over, and given the isolated location of the Abu Simbel temple, the security conditions for the Abu Simbel visit are controlled, with visitors allowed to travel there in convoys, twice a day. At the temple, there are many security personnel along with security scanners to provide the required level of security.

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Security personnel at the Abu Simbel temple in South Egypt

For the last many years, Egypt has been focusing on ensuring that there is a high level of security in the tourist sites in the country, ever since there were some terrorist attacks that claimed the life of many foreign tourists in the 1990's. So, the security infrastructure had been enhanced all over, and given the isolated location of the Abu Simbel temple, the security conditions for the Abu Simbel visit are controlled, with visitors allowed to travel there in convoys, twice a day.

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Security officers and tourists at the Abu Simbel temple in South Egypt

Many years back, the tourism industry in Egypt suffered pretty badly because of terrorism related issues, and hence there was a focus on providing additional security at all the tourist related sites, with the police force being equipped with far more deadly weapons in order to thwart terrorism. In the Abu Simbel temple in south Egypt, because of its isolated location, the need to put in more security was also high. Here, you can see the vehicles carrying police personnel along with police officials and tourists near the parking area of the Abu Simbel temple.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Police officer standing on a rise above the Abu Simbel temple in south Egypt

The temple of Abu Simbel is an important tourist destination for people visiting Egypt, especially because of the fact that the temple was going to be submerged due to the rising waters of Lake Nasser (created by the construction of the dam at Aswan); in the past decade, Egypt suffered huge declines in its tourism industry because of terrorist strikes at tourists (which led to a steep reduction in the number of tourists visiting the country). Post these terrorist strikes, there was a lot more emphasis on ensuring security for tourists, and hence you find police officials everyone, including this guy at the top of the hill that hosts the Abu Simbel.

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Boundary wall of the Abu Simbel temple in south Egypt

There is a boundary wall all around the Abu Simbel temple, located at a small high above the surface of Lake Nasser. Given the worries about the security situation in Egypt from around a decade ago, when there were attacks on tourists by radical Islamist groups. The attacks had a huge negative impact on the very important tourist industry of Egypt, leading to an effort to ensure much more security. There is now a police presence at all tourist locations, and this is visible to ensure that there is a feeling of a much higher security level for everybody. The metal fence would be a part of this security.

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A seemingly bored security guard at the Karnak temple in Luxor

Security in Egypt is a pretty big deal, ever since the terrorist attack on tourists from around a decade back which killed more than 50 tourists. That attack badly dented the tourism industry, and shocked the Egyptian Government into increasing the level of security available for tourists. In this photo, you can see a security guard at the huge Karnak temple in Luxor, looking very bored.
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Security guard at the security scanner at the hall leading to the Karnak temple

The role of security guards can be very boring, being present at monuments for regular work, and yet expected to remain at a high level of alert when something happens. This is a photo of a security guard next to the security scanner at the hall leading to the Karnak Temple. It is mandatory for all tourists to pass through this security process and undergo security checks before they can actually go to the Karnak temple.
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Security measures before we can proceed towards the Karnak temple complex

Before the recent turmoil that caused the departure of Hosni Mubarak, Egypt faced another potential risk, which was an economic risk. Egypt had turned the number of historic structures in the country to its advantage by setting a huge tourist industry, which gave a huge boost to the economy and also boosted employment. With terrorist attacks around a decade back, the security levels in the country for tourists were enhanced.
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A outpost of the Egyptian tourist police at the Panorama Point near the Great Pyramids

The tourist police can be found at all popular tourist locations in Egypt. Ever since some years back, there were attacks on tourists, there has been a huge push to ensure that tourists are secure and have a feeling of safety. As a result, you have armed police everywhere, and when tourists have to go to remote locations to see some monument, they are escorted by police.

Security Outpost, and tourists with a tripod at the Great Pyramid in Giza

A security outpost at the Panorama Point in Giza (the place is pretty crowded with tourists who want a Panoramic view of all 3 Pyramids); security is important in Egypt since there were some terrorist attacks on tourists in the past few years.

A security post and police vehicle at the Panorama point in Giza, near the Great Pyramids

As part of the effort to ensure that tourists have a sense of security and to protect them from terrorists, there are security personnel at every tourist point, as at the Panorama point in Giza.

Security staff and police personnel at the Panorama point in Giza, ensuring security for tourists

Egypt is highly dependent on tourists for a large section of its economy, and as a result of some previous attacks on tourists by religious extremists, it takes the protection of tourists very seriously, and there are security staff at every tourist location.

Cairo Pyramids - A security post at the panorama point of the Great Pyramids

The Egyptian Government is very concerned about the security of tourists (more so since there have been 2 attacks on tourists in the past by Islamic militants). As a result, there is a heavy security presence at tourist locations, such as this security post at the panorama point near the Great Pyramids (from where you get a view of all 3 Great Pyramids).

Great Pyramid - The gates at one end of the Pyramids complex, manned by security guards

This is a view of the stone gates located near the Great Pyramid, at one side, with security gates manning these gates. Security is very important for tourism, and so will find security near all the tourist sites.

Cairo Pyramids - the security infrastructure leading to the Great Pyramid

The security infrastructure leading to the Great Pyramid, with security staff and a scanner through which people need to pass. This is necessary since these are very valuable monuments and need full protection.

Cairo Pyramids - A security camera near the pyramids

The great pyramids are one of the most famous tourist landmarks of Egypt, located in the Giza suburb of the Egyptian capital of Cairo. There is a lot of caution about ensuring that they are safe, especially with 2 attacks on tourists in the last decade.