Abu Simbel temples one of the greatest challenges of archaeological engineering in history. Some structures were even saved from under the waters of Lake Nasser. Today, a few hundred tourists visit the temples daily. Guarded convoys of buses and cars depart twice a day from Aswan, the nearest city. Many visitors also arrive by plane at an airfield that was specially constructed for the temple complex. The complex consists of two temples. The larger one is dedicated to Ra-Harakhty, Ptah and Amun, Egypt's three state deities of the time, and features four large statues of Ramesses II in the facade. The smaller temple
Great and Small Temples of Abu Simbel his chief wife, Nefertari, in very high esteem, and she probably wielded quite a lot of power. Around their legs, smaller statues of their children are shown. Unlike the colossi at the Great Temple, each statue is recessed in its own niche, making it look as if Ramesses II and Queen Nefertari are coming out of the rock. Unlike the Great Temple, the Small Temple has one pillared hall called the square hall that contains six columns supporting the ceiling. Each column is topped with a depiction of Hathor. The dedication of the temple to Queen Nefertari by Ramesses II