Abu Simbel Festival
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.
22 Oct 2010 (various dates)
| Venue Information: | Abu Simbel Temple |
|---|---|
| Full Name: | |
| Address: | Abu Simbel Temple. |
| Directions: | By Bus: from Aswan. |
| Other Dates: | 22 Oct 2010 (various dates) |
| 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 |
