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Abu Simbel

The Temple of Abu Simbel
The Temple of AbuSimbel consists of a Great and Small Temple, and is situated near the border of Egypt with Sudan.

The Temple, which was constructed for the Pharoah Ramses II, was saved from threat of flooding by the High Dam. In the 1960s, under the auspices of UNESCO, the temples were cut from the rock and shifted to higher ground.

The Great Temple is dedicated to Ramesses II and a statue of him is seated with three other gods within the innermost part of the rock-cut temple (the sanctuary). The temple's facade is dominated by four enormous seated statues of the Pharaoh (each over 20 m or 67 ft high), although one has been damaged since ancient times.

The Small Temple was probably completed ahead of the Great Temple and is dedicated to Ramesses' favourite wife, Nefertari. At the entrance stand six 10 m high (33 ft) rock-cut statues - two of Ramesses and one of Nefertari on either side of the doorway.