One of the most famous ancient Egyptian sites, the two temples of Abu Simbel were carved out of sandstone cliffs high above the River Nile in 1257 BC, under the orders of Pharaoh Ramses II (1304-1237 BC). The most famous of the two features four colossal 20m-high (65ft) statues of Ramses II flanking the entrance, although they are actually dedicated to the sun god Re-Herakhte. The temples, which were rediscovered by the Swiss explorer Burckhardt in 1813, withstood the passage of time until the construction of the Nasser Dam in 1970, which caused the waters of Lake Nasser to rise significantly. With the support of UNESCO, an international appeal was launched and the temples were gradually relocated to a higher elevation over a four-year period between 1964 and 1968.

For more information on Abu Simbel, contact the Ministry of Tourism (see Tourist Information above).

Air: Luxor International Airport. Internal flights are available to Aswan International Airport and Abu Simbel Airport. Water: Boat: Cruise boats and feluccas take visitors to the site. Road: Bus: Public services leave from Aswan.

Wezarit El Suaha (Ministry of Tourism)
Misr Travel Tower, Abassia Square, Cairo, Egypt
Tel: (02) 682 8456. Fax: (02) 683 7665. Website: www.interoz.com/egypt
Egyptian State Tourist Office
Egyptian House, Third Floor, 170 Piccadilly, London W1V 9DD, UK
Tel: (020) 7493 5283 or (09001) 600 299 (24-hour brochure service: calls cost 60p per minute). Fax: (020) 7408 0295.
E-mail: egypt@freenetname.co.uk
Website: www.interoz.com/egypt

Egypt