Abu Simbel temples colossal 20 meter statues of the pharaoh with the double Atef crown of Upper and Lower Egypt decorate the facade of the temple, which is 35 meters wide and is topped by a frieze with 22 baboons, worshippers of the sun and flank the entrance. The colossal statues were sculpted directly from the rock in which the temple was located before it was moved. All statues represent Ramesses II, seated on a throne and wearing the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt. The statue to the left of the entrance was damaged in an earthquake, leaving only the lower
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