Great and Small Temples of Abu Simbel one of the greatest pharaohs of Ancient Egypt. He ruled for 67 years during the 19th dynasty and spent much of the time trying to secure the borders of the kingdom. During his reign, Ramesses II embarked on an extensive building program throughout the country. Although his capital was in the Nile Delta, he did not neglect the southern border at Nubia, a land very important to the Egyptians because it was a source of gold and many other precious trade goods. He therefore built several grand temples there in order to impress upon the Nubians Egypt’s might and Egyptianize
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