Abu Simbel: Temples at the Frontier

Abu Simbel is only on the Essential Egypt itinerary, and it requires the longest travel time of any site in the Nile River Valley. You fly south to Aswan, then drive through the Nubian desert to reach it. But when you arrive, you understand why I include it.

Abu Simbel is two temples carved directly into a rock face. They are enormous. They are positioned at Egypt's southern frontier, marking the boundary between Egyptian territory and Nubian territory. These temples were built by Ramesses II, and they are an architectural declaration of power: this is as far as Egypt's authority extends.

The temples were relocated in the 1970s. The construction of the High Dam meant that Lake Nasser would rise and flood the temples' original location. International effort and Egyptian engineering moved them, block by block, to higher ground. The temples are no longer in their original location, but they are still impressive and still telling the same story: a pharaoh projecting power at the frontier.

Standing in front of Abu Simbel, you can see the Nubian landscape stretching south. You understand that this is not Europe. This is a different climate, different vegetation, different people. The temples mark a clear boundary: this is Egypt. Beyond is Nubia. The temples' scale and grandeur assert that Egypt's culture and power extended this far.

The drive through the Nubian desert to Abu Simbel, and the time spent at the site, is part of the Essential Egypt experience. It's remote, it's extreme, and it's very worth it.