The
Abu Simbel temples are two massive rock
temples at Abu Simbel ( in Arabic), a village in
Nubia, southern
Egypt, near the border with
Sudan. They are situated on the western bank of
Lake Nasser, about 230 km southwest of
Aswan (about 300 km by road). The complex is part of the
UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Nubian Monuments," which run from Abu Simbel downriver to
Philae (near Aswan). The twin temples were originally carved out of the mountainside during the reign of
Pharaoh Ramesses II in the 13th century BC, as a lasting monument to himself and his queen
Nefertari, to commemorate his victory at the
Battle of Kadesh. Their huge external
rock relief figures have become iconic.