Descripción
Los templos de Abu Simbel del rey Ramsés II son los famosos templos del sur de Egipto, donde el sol brilla e ilumina la estatua del rey y la reina en sus rostros dos veces al año, el 22 de octubre y el 22 de febrero. Los mágicos templos de Abu Simbel están tallados en la roca. Los enormes templos fueron trasladados por la UNESCO para evitar que se ahogaran bajo el lago Nasser, formado por la Gran Presa de Asuán.
El recorrido comienza recogiéndolo en su hotel/residencia en Asuán y conduciendo hasta los templos de Abu Simbel. El viaje dura aproximadamente 3 horas y media y siempre comenzamos el viaje a las 5 am, para poder visitar los templos antes de que el sol caliente demasiado desde un punto y poder ver el amanecer en el camino. Además, permita visitas a otros sitios después de regresar de Abu Simbel si su visita a Asuán no es larga.
Itinerario de la expedición a Abu Simbel
Comience su expedición a Abu Simbel con un recorrido por el Gran Templo de Ramsés II, una enorme estructura construida en el siglo XIII a.C. en honor al faraón Ramsés II y a la diosa Hathor. Después de explorar los impresionantes relieves, estatuas y tallas del templo, seguramente tendrás muchas oportunidades para tomar fotografías.
A continuación, te dirigirás al Museo Nubio, situado cerca del Gran Templo de Ramsés II. Este museo está dedicado a preservar la cultura de Nubia y ofrecer a los visitantes una visión del pasado de la región. Podrás explorar las exhibiciones, que cubren temas como la arqueología, la arquitectura y la historia de Nubia.
Después de una pausa para almorzar, podrás explorar el templo de la reina Nefertari. Este templo más pequeño fue construido en el siglo XIII a.C. y está dedicado a Hathor y la diosa Isis. Podrás explorar los hermosos relieves y estatuas del interior, así como la terraza, que ofrece impresionantes vistas del desierto. Este tour de expedición a Abu Simbel lo llevará a algunos de los monumentos más espectaculares de Egipto y le brindará una gran cantidad de conocimientos históricos. ¡Con este itinerario, seguramente pasarás un día divertido y memorable en Abu Simbel!
Trip Duration: Full day (9 hours).
Group Size: booking is based on a minimum of two people booking together. If you are only one person, please email our partner the tour operator at tours@holidaytours.one to request a one-person tour.
If you are a group of 5 or more people booking together, you automatically receive a discount of 45%. Encourage your friends to join you.
Adult discount
# TITLE NUMBER DISCOUNT
1 Group Price 5-16 45%
Visit Abu Simbel
An ancient temple complex called Abu Simbel can be found in southern Egypt at the second cataract of the Nile River. It was originally carved out of a solid rock cliff. The two temples that make up the site were built either between 1264 and 1244 BCE or 1244 and 1224 BCE during the reign of Ramesses II (c. 1279 – c. 1213 BCE). The discrepancy in the dates results from different perspectives on Ramesses II’s life held by contemporary scholars.
Based on the elaborate artwork found throughout the Great Temple’s interior, it is certain that the buildings were built, at least in part, to commemorate Ramesses’ victory over the Hittites at the Battle of Kadesh in 1274 BCE. According to some researchers, this suggests that the first construction took place around 1264 BCE when the people would still be celebrating their victory. Others believe that the decision to erect the massive monument at that precise location, on the border with the conquered lands of Nubia, points to a later date of 1244 BCE because it would have needed to begin following the Nubian Campaigns Ramesses II and his sons undertook and were erected as a representation of Egypt’s power.
Regardless of the precise start date, it is generally acknowledged that the complex took twenty years to build and that the temples honour the gods Ra-Horakty, Ptah, the deified Ramesses II (The Great Temple), the goddess Hathor, and Queen Nefertari, who was Ramesses’ favourite wife (The Small Temple). Contrary to popular belief, the complex was not known by the name “Abu Simbel” in ancient times.
Both Temples The Great Temple is 98 feet (30 metres) high and 115 feet (35 metres) long. Two seated colossi on each side of the entrance, each measuring 65 feet (20 metres), depict Ramesses II seated on his throne. These enormous statues are accompanied by smaller, but still, larger-than-life statues that represent Ramesses’ conquered foes, the Nubians, Libyans, and Hittites.
More statues show members of his family as well as various gods and symbols of power. The interior of the temple is decorated with engravings showing Ramesses and Nefertari paying respect to the gods as you pass between the colossi through the main entrance. Along the north wall of the Hypostyle Hall, a detailed representation of Ramesses’ great victory at Kadesh can be seen. This victory is thought by contemporary scholars to be more of a draw than an Egyptian triumph. The scholars Oakes and Gahlin claim that these engravings of the battle’s prelude, Give a lively account in both text and reliefs.
In the Egyptian camp, battle preparations are underway. While one soldier gets his wounds dressed, the horses are harnessed or given their feed. Another scene shows a council of war between Ramesses and his officers, as well as the king’s tent. Two Hittite spies are apprehended and tortured until they divulge the real location of the Hittite king Muwatalli. When the battle finally breaks out, the Egyptians charge in orderly formation while the Hittites are in disarray, their chariots crashing, their horses bolting, and their soldiers falling into the River Orontes. Except for the assistance of [the god] Amun, who defends him in battle and ultimately grants him victory, Ramesses faces the entire Hittite army alone in the text (208). The Small Temple is a nearby structure that is 92 feet (28 metres) long and 40 feet (12 metres) tall.
Additionally, the front facade of this temple is adorned with three colossi on either side of the doorway that stand 32 feet tall and show Ramesses and his queen Nefertari (10 metres). The prominence of the queen is demonstrated by the fact that, in contrast to Abu Simbel, where Nefertari is portrayed as being the same size as Ramesses, women are typically depicted on a much smaller scale than pharaohs. The Small Temple is notable for being only the second time in the annals of ancient Egypt that a pharaoh dedicated a temple to his wife.
The first was Pharaoh Akhenaton, who did so for his queen Nefertiti in 1353–1336 BCE. Images of Ramesses and Nefertari making offerings to the gods as well as representations of the goddess Hathor adorn the walls of this temple. Sacred Place It is believed that Ramesses carefully selected the site because it was sacred to Hathor long before the temples were built there. Ramesses is regarded as a god among gods in both temples, and his selection of a place that was already revered by the populace would have accentuated this impression.
The temples are also oriented toward the east, which means that on February 21 and October 21, respectively, the sun shines directly into The Great Temple’s sanctuary, illuminating the statues of Ramesses and Amun. The times are believed to be Ramesses’ birth and coronation dates. The sanctuary of The Great Temple differs from these other sites in that the statue of the god Ptah, who stands among the others, is carefully positioned so that it is never illuminated at any time. The alignment of sacred structures with the rising or setting sun, or with the position of the sun at the solstices, was common throughout the ancient world.
The High Dam at Aswan The Egyptian government intended to construct the Aswan High Dam on the Nile in the 1960s CE, which would have submerged both temples (and also surrounding structures such as the Temple of Philae). Both temples were disassembled, moved 213 feet (65 metres) up onto the plateau of the cliffs they once sat below, and then rebuilt 690 feet (210 metres) to the northwest of their original location between 1964 and 1968 CE. At a cost of over 40 million US dollars, UNESCO spearheaded this project with a multi-national team of archaeologists. A man-made mountain was built to give the appearance that the temples were cut into the rock cliff, and great care was taken to position both temples in precisely the same direction as before. Oakes and Gahlin state the following: A coffer dam had to be constructed before construction could start in order to shield the temples from rising water.
The temples were then sawn into blocks, being careful to place the cuts where they would be hidden when assembled. A reinforced concrete supporting framework held up the interior walls and ceilings. The joints were filled with mortar made of cement and desert sand when the temples were put back together. Because it was done so covertly, it is now impossible to tell where the joins were made. Both temples are currently supported by two enormous reinforced concrete domes inside of an artificial mountain made of rock and debris. All of the smaller statues and stelae that surrounded the complex’s original site were also moved and put in the places where the temples should have been.
Después de las Pirámides de Giza, Abu Simbel es actualmente el sitio antiguo más popular de Egipto, e incluso tiene su propio aeropuerto para dar cabida a las decenas de miles de visitantes que llegan aquí cada año.
