Monster Moves: Abu Simbel temples How will Egyptian engineers move a wonder of the ancient world before it becomes flooded with water? Abu Simbel temples are two massive
How will Egyptian engineers move a wonder of the ancient world before it becomes flooded with water?
Abu Simbeltemples are two massive rock temples located in Nubia in Southern Egypt on the western bank of Lake Nasser. The twin temples were originally carved out of the mountainside during the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses II in the 13th century BC. However, the complex was relocated in its entirety in the 1960s, on an artificial hill made from a domed structure, high above the Aswan High Dam reservoir.
The relocation of the temples was necessary to avoid them being submerged during the creation of Lake Nasser, the massive artificial water reservoir formed after the building of the Aswan High Dam on the Nile River. Abu Simbel remains one of Egypt's top tourist attractions.