Abu Simbel temples Abu Simbel temples The Abu Simbel temples are two massive rock temples at Abu Simbel (), 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 in the 13th century BC, during the 19th dynasty reign of the Pharaoh Ramesses II. They serve
Lake Nasser ability to generate electricity. There are pumping stations that control the water going into Lake Nasser, and currently this project generates 10 billion kilowatt-hours of hydroelectric power each year to Egyptians. A fish enclosure was built in Lake Nasser. Fishing among tourists, especially for Nile perch, has become increasingly popular, both on the shore and from boats. Although the Abu Simbel and other temples were physically moved to a higher ground and to different sites to spare their destruction by the new lake, other ancient Egyptian sites like the massive fortress of Buhen were flooded and are now at the