Latest / Ramses the Great: Egypt's Most Powerful Pharaoh — Fexingo History / Ramses the Great's Dazzling Temple at Abu Simbel
Transcript
- Lucas: So Luna, we've talked a lot about Ramses II's monuments — his capital at Per-Ramesses, the Ramesseum, his tombs and temples. But one of the most staggering things he ever built sits way down south, carved out of a cliff face on the Nile's west bank: Abu Simbel. Luna: Abu Simbel — I've seen photos. Those giant statues of Ramses sitting in front of the temple are just incredible. Lucas: Right, four colossal seated figures of Ramses himself, each about 20 metres tall, plus smaller statues of his family — his mother, his wife Nefertari, and several of his children — tucked between his legs. The whole thing was cut directly into the sandstone mountain, not built from blocks. And it was designed not just as a temple to the gods, but as a permanent statement of pharaonic power right at the border with Nubia. Lucas: For anyone coming with us through these conversations about North Africa's ancient wonders, you might have noticed we don't run ads. That's a choice. The show stays ad-free because listeners like you support it directly. If you'd like to help keep these conversations going, you can find us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo — no pressure, just a way to chip in if the episodes mean something to you. Luna: Yeah, it's a small way to keep the history flowing without interruptions. So back to Abu Simbel — why build it way down there, so far from the main centres like Thebes or Memphis? Lucas: Great question. Abu Simbel is located near the Second Cataract of the Nile, right at the southern frontier of Egyptian control during the New Kingdom. Ramses was securing his border with Nubia, a source of gold, ivory, and other riches. The temple served as both a religious centre and a power symbol: anyone sailing up the Nile would see those giant statues and know who was in charge. Luna: So it's like a giant billboard saying 'Ramses was here'. Lucas: Exactly. But it's also a deeply religious monument. The temple is dedicated to three major gods — Ptah of Memphis, Amun-Re of Thebes, and Ra-Harakhty of Heliopolis — plus a fourth, deified Ramses himself. So the pharaoh is literally placed among the gods. The whole layout is oriented so that twice a year, on February 22 and October 22, the sun's rays penetrate all the way to the sanctuary at the back, illuminating those four statues — except one. Ptah, the god of darkness, is left in shadow. Luna: Wait, really? That's incredible — a deliberate solar alignment. Lucas: Yes, and it's not just a coincidence. The alignment was carefully calculated. Those dates are thought to correspond to Ramses's coronation and his birthday, though scholars debate that. But the effect is dramatic: for about 20 minutes, the statues of Amun-Re, Ra-Harakhty, and Ramses are bathed in sunlight, while Ptah remains dark. It's a brilliant piece of ancient engineering and theology rolled into one. Lucas: Now, Abu Simbel isn't one temple but two. The larger one is Ramses's, and a smaller one about 100 metres away is dedicated to the goddess Hathor and Ramses's chief queen, Nefertari. That's really unusual — normally a queen's temple wouldn't be so prominent. The facade of the small temple has six standing statues: four of Ramses and two of Nefertari, and they're the same height, which is almost unheard of. Usually the queen's statues would be much smaller. Luna: That says a lot about Nefertari's status. She wasn't just one of many wives. Lucas: She was his Great Royal Wife, and from the inscriptions and tomb paintings in the Valley of the Queens, it's clear Ramses held her in high esteem. At Abu Simbel, the inner chambers of the small temple show Nefertari making offerings to the goddesses Hathor and Mut, and Ramses is depicted in a more subordinate role — again, a sign of her importance. Luna: So what's inside the main temple? We've talked about the facade, but what do you see once you go in? Lucas: The interior is cut deep into the rock, about 60 metres. You pass through a large hall with eight pillars — each one a ten metre tall statue of Ramses in the form of Osiris, the god of the afterlife. The walls are covered with reliefs showing Ramses's military campaigns, especially the Battle of Kadesh against the Hittites. There are scenes of him charging into battle on his chariot, shooting arrows, and capturing prisoners. It's pure propaganda, but magnificent. Lucas: Beyond that hall are more chambers — a second pillared hall with scenes of religious rituals, then a vestibule, and finally the sanctuary. At the far end sit the four statues we talked about: Ptah, Amun-Re, Ramses, and Ra-Harakhty. The whole temple was designed to impress and to reinforce Ramses's divine kingship. Luna: I remember from earlier episodes that Abu Simbel was moved in the 1960s because of the Aswan High Dam. How did they manage that? Lucas: That was an incredible international effort. When the dam was built, it created Lake Nasser, which would have flooded the original site. So between 1964 and 1968, an international team led by UNESCO and the Egyptian government cut the entire temple complex into massive blocks — some weighing up to 30 tons — and reassembled them on higher ground, about 200 metres away and 65 metres above the original location. They had to build a concrete dome over the new site to recreate the original mountain's appearance. Lucas: The alignment was preserved too, though there's a slight offset — the sun now illuminates the sanctuary a day later than it used to, on February 23 and October 21. But it still works. It's a testament to how much we value this monument. Luna: It's amazing that they could move something so massive and keep the alignment intact. So what happened to the temple after Ramses's death? Did it stay in use? Lucas: For a while, yes. The temple remained active through the later New Kingdom and into the Ptolemaic period. But eventually it was abandoned. The desert sands buried the statues up to their shoulders, and the temple was largely forgotten outside of local knowledge. It wasn't until 1813 that the Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt — the same guy who discovered Petra — came across the top of one of the colossal statues poking out of the sand. Then in 1817, the Italian explorer Giovanni Belzoni excavated the entrance and got inside. Luna: So it was Burckhardt who first saw it? That's a good connection — he also found Petra. Lucas: Exactly. And once it was cleared, it became one of the most famous sites in Egypt. The sheer scale is breathtaking. The four seated colossi each weigh around 1,200 tons. And there are smaller statues of Ramses's family, including his mother Tuya and his wife Nefertari. Some of the children are named — princes like Amunherkhepeshef — we talked about him in episode 40 — and princesses like Meritamen, who we covered in episode 53. Lucas: One interesting detail: on the legs of the colossi, there are Greek inscriptions left by mercenaries who served under the Ptolemaic pharaoh Psamtik II in the sixth century BC. So even ancient tourists left their mark. Luna: Ancient graffiti — that's always fun. I've read that the temple has a 'hypostyle hall' too. Can you describe that a bit more? Lucas: Sure. The hypostyle hall is the first large chamber after the entrance. It's about 18 metres long and 16 metres wide, with eight massive pillars. Each pillar is carved with a ten-metre-high Osirid statue of Ramses — that's a statue of the king as the god Osiris, with arms crossed and holding the crook and flail. The ceiling is decorated with vultures, which are symbols of protection, and the walls show Ramses making offerings to various gods. It's a forest of stone, really. Lucas: Beyond the hypostyle hall is a smaller hall with four pillars, then a vestibule with scenes of Ramses and Nefertari offering to the gods, and finally the sanctuary. The sanctuary itself is only about 7 by 4 metres, but its alignment makes it the focal point of the entire temple. Luna: And the smaller temple for Nefertari — what's that like? Lucas: It's dedicated to the goddess Hathor, who is associated with love, music, and motherhood — also with the sky and the west. The facade has six standing statues: four of Ramses and two of Nefertari, all about 10 metres tall. Inside, the hypostyle hall has six Hathor-headed columns — the capitals are carved with the face of the goddess, with cow ears. The reliefs show Ramses and Nefertari offering to Hathor and other deities. It's a more intimate space, but still impressive. Luna: I've heard that the temple's relocation was controversial because it cut the original rock face. But overall, it's seen as a success story, right? Lucas: Yes, it's considered one of the greatest archaeological rescue operations ever. Not everyone was happy — some argued that moving it destroyed the authenticity of the site, but the alternative was complete loss under the lake. The project cost about $40 million in 1960s dollars, funded by over 50 countries. It set a precedent for international cooperation in heritage preservation. Lucas: One thing that's often missed is that Abu Simbel was not just a temple for the living. It also had a funerary aspect. The Osirid statues in the hypostyle hall connect Ramses to the afterlife. The temple's name in ancient Egyptian was 'House of Ramses, Beloved of Amun, Who Listens to Petitions' — it was a place where people could come and pray to the deified pharaoh for intercession. Luna: So it's like a combined temple and tomb monument, with a bit of administrative function too? Lucas: Exactly. It was a hub for the cult of the king. Priests performed daily rituals, offerings were made, and festivals were held. The temple was a living institution, not just a static monument. And its location on the Nile made it a key stop for travelers and traders going south. Luna: I think what strikes me most is the sheer ambition. Carving a temple out of a cliff, aligning it with the sun, and then moving it a hundred years ago — it's hard to wrap your head around. Lucas: It is. And it's a fitting monument for Ramses II, a king who thought on a colossal scale. He ruled for 66 years, built more than any other pharaoh, and left his mark from the Delta to Nubia. Abu Simbel is maybe the most dramatic example of that — a statement carved in stone that has survived for over 3,200 years. Luna: And it's still standing, thanks to modern ingenuity. I'd love to see it in person someday. Lucas: Me too. There's something about standing in the shadow of those colossi that must be humbling. It makes you think about what we build today, and what will last for thousands of years. Luna: Alright, this was a great deep dive. I feel like I know Abu Simbel much better now. Lucas: Glad to hear it. Next time we might look at another temple or perhaps the tombs in the Valley of the Kings from Ramses's reign. There's always more to uncover.