Today, more than 6,000 tourists celebrated sun alignment on King Ramses II in front of Abu Simbel Temple in Aswan.
This remarkable phenomenon happens twice every year, on February 22 and October 22, as the sun’s rays penetrate the front corridor of the entrance to the Temple of Ramses II with a length of 200 meters until it reaches the Holy of Holies.
The Holy of Holies is a platform that includes the statue of King Ramses II, sitting next to it the statue of the god Ra-Hor, his sister, the god Amun and the statue of the god Ptah.
As for Ptah remains in the shadows every year; the sun does not light up its face because Ptah is considered the god of darkness among the Egyptians, According to ancient beliefs.
Abu Simbel
The great temple of Abu Simbel was constructed by ancient Egyptians Over three thousand years ago in a way that the sun would shine on the statue of King Ramesses II on the same date every year, marking key dates in the pharaoh’s life in a celebration of his coronation day.
Abu Simbel temple was carved in a rock piece on the west bank of the Nile in a spot of great beauty to worship the sun. It is considered the most prominent temple carved in rocks in the world.
Chief Inspector of Abu Simbel Antiquities Ahmed Masoud clarified that the temple opened the doors for tourists starting at 3 am to facilitate viewings of the sun alignment, asserting that thousands of tourists lined up in the “longest tourist queue” in Egypt before entering the temple.
