Home / Northern Africa / Egypt / Upper Nile Valley / Abu Simbel /

Great temple of Ramses II

The great temple of Ramses II was built between 1274 and 1244 BC, carved in the rock overlooking the Nile river. The temple is dedicated to the Egyptian gods Amun, Ra-Horakhty, and Ptah, as well as to the deified pharao Ramses II. The temple facade consists of four colossal statues of Ramses II seated on thrones wearing different crowns. One of the statues was damaged by an earthquake which severed the head and torso of one of the colossi. The interior of the temple consists of a hypostyle hall with walls richly decorated with carvings.


01 Temple of Ramses II at sunrise	02 Temple of Ramses II at sunrise	03 Great temple of Ramses II	04 Great temple of Ramses II


05 Great temple of Ramses II	06 Great temple of Ramses II	07 Great temple of Ramses II


08 Frontal view with head of Ramses statue	09 Head and torso of Ramses statue	10 Statues of Ramses II	11 Statues of Ramses II


12 Statue of Ramses II	13 Statues of Ramses II	14 Statues of Ramses II	15 Statues of Ramses II	16 Statues of Ramses II


17 Statues of Ramses II	18 Statues of Ramses II	19 Statues of Ramses II	20 Statues of Ramses II	21 Statues of Ramses II


22 Hieroglyphs carved into the wall	23 Wall carvings	24 Statue of Egyptian sun god Ra-Harakhty	25 Hypostyle hall with statues of Ramses II	26 Wall carvings in the Ramses II temple