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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 demolished from the waist up.6etween the legs and on each of their sides stand smaller statues of members of the royalfamily. 7he smaller statues of relatives were probably# for the first southern colossusBCueen Nefretari by the left leg# the ings mother# the great wife of Seti 9# 1uttuya by his rightleg# and or the second southern colossus#

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

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

then one reaches the sanctuary.7he sanctuary contains a small altar and in its rear niche are four statues. 7hese cult imagesrepresent amesses 99 himself# and the three state gods of the New Dingdom # a:$ora htyof $eliopolis # ebruary and *ctober#the rising sun shoots its rays through the entrance and halls until it finally illuminates thesanctuary statues.7o the north of the main temple a smaller temple was built in honor of amesses great wife#Nefertari# and the goddess $athor . 7his temple should not be confused with the beautiful7omb to Nefertari in the ;alley of Cueens near 7hebes.

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

9nside# Nefertaris temple has a single pillared hall# with carved $athor heads atop the pillars.*n the sides facing the center of the hypostyleE amesses is shown smiting his enemies andoffering before various gods# while Nefertari is shown# graceful and slender# with handsraised. 7hree doors lead to a vestibule with ancillary rooms at either end.7he sanctuary is complete# though two spaces were left on its side walls for doors to rooms#which were never cut. 7he inner chamber contains a number of images interrelating the royalcouple and the gods. *n the rear wall# $athor is depicted in high relief as a cow emergingfrom the western mountain# with the ing standing beneath her chin. Nefertari is shownrepeatedly participating in the divine rituals on an e3ual footing with the ing. *n the left wall#Nefertari is seen worshipping before 1ut and $athor# and on the right# amesses worshipsbefore images of his deified self and his wife.When 'ree mercenaries passed by in the -th century 6) sand already reached the neesof the statues. 7hese ancient sight:see:ers left an inscription 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 four universal gods

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Above the doorway in a niche stands the sun god# a falcon headed representation ofamesses# holding a war:scepter which shows the head and nec of an animal which is readas user# in his right and a figure of 1aGat in his left. 7his cleverly creates the Dings thronename of ser:1aGat: e. At the top of the facade is a row of baboons which are thought to begreeting the morning sun and indeed the monument loo s best at that time. 7he sides of thethrones ne t to the entrance are decorated with Nile gods symbolically uniting &gypt# whilebelow are prisoners# representing con3uered nations# to the left# African and to the right#

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

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

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

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'od!# and beyond that is the three chapels# the central one containing the four deitiesworshipped in the temple (including amesses 99!. A Solstices occurs twice a year on or about>ebruary 20:22nd and *ctober 20:22nd when the rays from the sun enter the front of thetemple and bathe the statues of the 'ods 200 feet inside the temple with light. 9nterestinglyenough# all but acade are two small chapels. At the Southeast corner of the facadethere are three stelae. *ne of these is called the 1arriage Stela and documents the marriageof amesses 99 to the daughter of the Ding of the $ittites. (&ditors NoteB 7he 3uestion is# whatdid she loo li eH %id amesses consider this a heroic deedH! *n the other side of the>acade is the Sun )hapel# an open court dedicated to the sun. $ere# there are pillars withcavetto cornices. 7he one with steps held four praying baboons# the other a chapel withimages of Dhepri and 6aboon:7hoth. 7he latter is now in the Anti3uities 1useum 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:$era hte! at Abu Simbel$athor was the wife of the Sun 'od so in a symbolic way# the two 7emples# that of amesses99 and that of Nefertari# brings amesses 99 and Nefertari and $athor and the Sun 'odtogether as one. 7he facade of the temple is a receding