It will be standing-room only at Abu Simbel!
One of the most remarkable features of Ramses II’s great temple at Abu Simbel is what is now known as the Sun Festival.
In a feat of amazing precision, the temple was aligned so that twice a year – on February 21 and October 21 – the first rays of the morning sun would penetrate the entire length of the temple and illuminate the shrine in its innermost sanctuary and the statues of the four gods seated there.
When the temple was relocated further up the mountain in the 60s, it saw the solar event occurring one day later than it did originally.