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Abu Simbel Festival

Great Temple of Ramses II, © RIEGER Bertrand/hemis.fr

when:22 Feb 2010 (various dates)
where:Abu Simbel Temple
cost:Free
time:Sunrise

During the Abu Simbel Festival crowds fill the temple at sunrise to watch the shafts of light creeping across the stone, illuminating the statues of Ramses, Ra and Amun. This spectacular sight happens twice a year, in February and October.

It was Ramses II who, in a fit of precision and architectural egotism, carefully angled his temple so that the inner sanctum would light up once on the anniversary of his rise to the throne, and once on his birthday. Impressively, it is only the inner sanctum that lights up, while the statute of Ptah (the god of darkness) remains in the shadows.

When the Aswan Dam caused the Nasser lake to rise and inundate the area in the early 1960s, the entire temple was moved to higher ground and for this reason the sun now strikes a day later than Ramses had originally planned.

Venue Information:Abu Simbel Temple
Full Name:Abu Simbel Temple,Abu Simbel,Egypt
Address:Abu Simbel Temple.
Directions:By Bus: from Aswan.
Name:Egyptian Tourist Office
Location:
Address:Misr Travel Tower, Abbassia Square, Cairo
Email:egyptourst@aol.com
Phone:+20 (0) 2 2853576, +20 (0) 2 2859658
Fax:+20 (0) 2 2854363
Name:Egyptian Tourist Authority
Location:Egypt
Address:Misr Travel Tower, Abbassia Sq, Cairo, Egypt
Phone:+20 (0) 2 285 4509 / +20 (0) 2 284 1970
Fax:+20 (0) 2 285 4363
Name:Ministry of Tourism
Location:Egypt
Address:Misr Travel Tower, Abassia Square, Cairo, Egypt
Email:www.touregypt.net
Phone:+20 2 284 1707
Fax:+20 2 285 9551


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