Théodule Devéria help Mariette read inscriptions in Cairo and its surroundings. He tried to accurately document the archaeological sites using drawings, stampings and photographs. His calotype pictures from this trip are often poor in quality, showing a lack of technical skills. In 1860 he was appointed preserving assistant at the Louvre's Department of Egyptology. He revisited Egypt in 1861–62, traveling up the Nile to Philae at the First Cataract, and into Nubia to the Abu Simbel temples. After returning he helped Mariette prepare descriptions of the excavation in Egypt in 1850–54 for publication. In November 1864 Devéria met the future oriental scholar
Great and Small Temples of Abu Simbel the people of Nubia. The most famous temples are the rock-cut temples in Meha, now called Abu Simbel, at the Second Nile Cataract, the border between Lower Nubia and Upper Nubia. There are two temples, the Great Temple – dedicated to Ramesses II himself – and the smaller but no less impressive Small Temple – dedicated to his beloved chief wife Queen Nefertari. The Great Temple at Abu Simbel was dedicated to three gods: Amun, Re-Horakhty and Ptah. The Great Temple was also dedicated to Ramesses II as a deified king. The Great Temple is meant to be Ramesses II’s