Abu Simbel Near Aswan - [PDF Document] (2024)

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Abu Simbel in Nubia, A Feature Tour EgyptStory

Abu Simbel

By Marie Parsons

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An ancient earth3ua e damaged the statues. *ne is demolishedfrom the waist up.6etween the legs and on each of their sides standsmaller statues of members of the royalfamily. 7he smaller statuesof relatives were probably# for the first southern colossusBCueenNefretari by the left leg# the ings mother# the great wife of Seti9# 1uttuya by his rightleg# and or the second southerncolossus#

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*n the north entrance wall in this $ypostyle hall a scene showsamesses in the presence of Amun# to whom the ing appealed duringhis battle at Dadesh against the $ittites .

6ehind the first hall is a second smaller hall with ritualoffering scenes. $ere in one sceneboth amesses and Nefertari aredepicted before the sacred bar3ue of Amun# and in another#beforethe sacred bar3ue of a:$ora haty. 7hree doors lead from here into avestibule# and

then one reaches the sanctuary.7he sanctuary contains a smallaltar and in its rear niche are four statues. 7hese cultimagesrepresent amesses 99 himself# and the three state gods of theNew Dingdom # a:$ora htyof $eliopolis # ebruary and *ctober#therising sun shoots its rays through the entrance and halls until itfinally illuminates thesanctuary statues.7o the north of the maintemple a smaller temple was built in honor of amesses greatwife#Nefertari# and the goddess $athor . 7his temple should not beconfused with the beautiful7omb to Nefertari in the ;alley ofCueens near 7hebes.

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As with amesses own temple# the cliff face was cut bac toresemble sloping walls of apylon. Si colossal standing figures //feet high four of amesses and two of Nefertari# werecut from theroc face# along with smaller figures of the royal family. Aninscription over theentrance reads ? amesses 99# he has made atemple# e cavated in the mountain# of eternalwor manship# for thechief 3ueen Nefertari# beloved of 1u# in Nubia# forever andever#Nefertari for whose sa e the very sun does shine.?

9nside# Nefertaris temple has a single pillared hall# withcarved $athor heads atop the pillars.*n the sides facing the centerof the hypostyleE amesses is shown smiting his enemies andofferingbefore various gods# while Nefertari is shown# graceful andslender# with handsraised. 7hree doors lead to a vestibule withancillary rooms at either end.7he sanctuary is complete# though twospaces were left on its side walls for doors to rooms#which werenever cut. 7he inner chamber contains a number of imagesinterrelating the royalcouple and the gods. *n the rear wall#$athor is depicted in high relief as a cow emergingfrom the westernmountain# with the ing standing beneath her chin. Nefertari isshownrepeatedly participating in the divine rituals on an e3ualfooting with the ing. *n the left wall#Nefertari is seenworshipping before 1ut and $athor# and on the right# amessesworshipsbefore images of his deified self and his wife.When 'reemercenaries passed by in the -th century 6) sand already reachedthe neesof the statues. 7hese ancient sight:see:ers left aninscription which reads ?When Ding

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Abu Simbel, the Temple of amesses !!

The Temple of e"#ara$hte

%The Sun Temple of amesses !!&

7he main temple was dedicated to amesses 99 and to the fouruniversal gods

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Above the doorway in a niche stands the sun god# a falcon headedrepresentation ofamesses# holding a war:scepter which shows thehead and nec of an animal which is readas user# in his right and afigure of 1aGat in his left. 7his cleverly creates the Dingsthronename of ser:1aGat: e. At the top of the facade is a row ofbaboons which are thought to begreeting the morning sun and indeedthe monument loo s best at that time. 7he sides of thethrones ne tto the entrance are decorated with Nile gods symbolically uniting&gypt# whilebelow are prisoners# representing con3uerednations# to the left# African and to the right#

Asian.7he entrance leads into a 'rand $all which is @ feet highand @2 feet wide and was cut fromthe roc . 9t is supported witheight pillars with statues of amesses. 7he statues on the northsideof the hall wear the double crown# while those on the south thewhite crown of upper&gypt. 5ust as other temples in &gypt#the floor and ceiling taper off to draw focus to thesanctuaries inthe bac of the temple. 7he reliefs on the north wall of the 'rand$all showscenes from the 6attle of Dadesh . *ther walls depict theing slaughtering captives in front ofthe gods Amun: e and e:$arahte# and storming a fortress with his three sons.

7o either side of the 'rand $all are smaller rooms# two to theSouth and four to the North.1ost suggest that these rooms were forstorage (treasure rooms! but elsewhere it issuggested that theywere used for festivals related to the Dings 5ubilee.

6eyond the 'rand $all is the second hypostyle hall with itsflowered pillars. Scenes in this hallshow the Ding and his wife#Nefertari ma ing offerings to Amun and e:$ara hte (the Sun

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'od!# and beyond that is the three chapels# the central onecontaining the four deitiesworshipped in the temple (includingamesses 99!. A Solstices occurs twice a year on or about>ebruary20:22nd and *ctober 20:22nd when the rays from the sun enter thefront of thetemple and bathe the statues of the 'ods 200 feetinside the temple with light. 9nterestinglyenough# all but acadeare two small chapels. At the Southeast corner of the facadethereare three stelae. *ne of these is called the 1arriage Stela anddocuments the marriageof amesses 99 to the daughter of the Ding ofthe $ittites. (&ditors NoteB 7he 3uestion is# whatdid she looli eH %id amesses consider this a heroic deedH! *n the other sideof the>acade is the Sun )hapel# an open court dedicated to thesun. $ere# there are pillars withcavetto cornices. 7he one withsteps held four praying baboons# the other a chapel withimages ofDhepri and 6aboon:7hoth. 7he latter is now in the Anti3uities1useum in )airo.

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Nefertari's Temple of #athor at Abu Simbel

Nefertari's Temple of #athor %Abu Simbel " Small Temple&

See also the 7emple of amesses 99 (or 7emple of e:$era hte! atAbu Simbel$athor was the wife of the Sun 'od so in a symbolic way#the two 7emples# that of amesses99 and that of Nefertari# bringsamesses 99 and Nefertari and $athor and the Sun 'odtogether as one.7he facade of the temple is a receding