Egyptian temple Debod, as gifts to nations that had contributed to the preservation effort. Nevertheless, several other temples vanished beneath the lake. Today there are dozens of sites with substantial temple remains, although many more once existed, and none of the major temples in Lower or Middle Egypt are well preserved. Those that are well preserved, such as Karnak, Luxor, and Abu Simbel, draw tourists from around the world and are therefore a key attraction for the Egyptian tourist industry, which is a major sector of the Egyptian economy. Three temple sites—Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis, Memphis and its Necropolis, and the
Great and Small Temples of Abu Simbel “Mansion of Millions of Years Hewn in the Rock” as the First King’s Cupbearer Ashahebsed said. Inside the temple, statues of Ramesses II are presented alongside statues of the gods, showing the fact that he is one of them, and indeed, he is even shown as presenting offerings to himself. Both temples are rock-cut temples. The edifices are hewn into huge sandstone mounds that were already at the site. Despite the fact that the temples were carved into the sandstone mounds rather than built, they are similar in design to all Egyptian temples. For example, the façades of the Great