Abu Simbel and the miracle of the sun

The temple of Abu Simbel is an exact transferal of the architectural formOf an Egyptian inner sanctuary temple cut deep inside the rock. Sculpted into the mountain, the façade is 38 meters long and 31 high. This is framed by a convex "torus " moulding , and is surmounted by a cornice with uraei (the sacred asp) above which is carved a row of 22 seated baboons , each two and a half meters high. Below the torus moulding is a cornice engraved with dedicatory hieroglyphics, and in a niche below this in the middle of the façade is a large high – relief statue representing Ra- Harakhati with a falcon's head flanked by two – relief figures of Ramses II. Four colossal statues of Ramses II seated form the supporting columns of the façade. Even on this monumental scale they produce the true features of the monarch. They are 20 meters high and measure more than 4 from ear to ear, while the lips, measuring over a meter, express a soft, gentle smile. The pharaoh is represented with his hands resting in his lap wearing the double crown and a headdress with deep folds on either side of his face. The second statue on the left is broken and part of the head and body lie on the ground. Beside and between the legs of each colossus are other statues representing members of the royal family including a daughter (who was also his wife) Bent'anat , his mother Tuya , his wife Nefertari , his son Amenhirkhopshef, and another daughter and wife, Merytamun. On the base and along the sides of the seats are figures of African and Asiatic prisoners. A multitude of workers imprisoned by his sword "worked on the monumental façade under the orders of Pyay , head of the sculptures , as we read inside the temple. The work of the sculptures was followed by that of the painters for, at the time of Ramses, the temple was most probably richly painted and decorated

The interior

On passing to the interior, the shadowy light emphasizes the mysterious and evocative atmosphere. The "pronaos" is a vast rectangular hall 18 meters long and 16.70 wide. This is flanked by eight Osiris pillars ten meters tall arranged in two rows, representing Osiris with the features of Ramses. The colossi on the left wear the white crown of Upper Egypt, those on the right, the "pschent" or double crown. Their arms, crossed over their chests, hold the scepter and flail. Decorating the roof of the central nave is the great vulture of the goddess Nekhbet, protrectress of Upper Egypt, while the aisles on either side are painted with stars.

Sanctuary and the miracle of the sun
Sixty – five meters from the entrance, deep in the heart of the mountain, is a sanctuary, the most intimate and secret part of the temple, a small room four meters by seven. Here sits the statue of the deified Ramses II together with the triad of "Ptah", "Amoun-Ra" and "Harmakhis".
It was obvious ever since discovery in the 19th century that nothing in this temple was left to chance and that it was built according to a very precise logic and pre-established plan.
Francois Champollion was the first of several scholars to note what has become known as the "miracle of the sun".
"Abu Simbel" was built along a pre- determined axis: twice a year, corresponding to the equinoxes, the rising sun penetrates the heart of the mountain and illuminates the statues in the sanctuary. The first rays of the sun follow the axis of the temple precisely, crossing its entire length and gradually flooding the statues of "Amon", "Harmakhis" and the pharaoh in light. It takes about twenty minutes for the light to pass, yet remarkably Ptah is never struck by the sun's rays. Ptah is, in fact, the god of darkness and the dead.

Queen Nefertari and her fascinating tomb

Nefertari , whose name means the most beautiful of them all , was not an ordinary queen. She was the beloved wife of the great pharaoh, Ramesses II who wore the crown of Upper and Lower Egypt for 67 years, probably starting in 1279 B.C. He was a king of both war and peace, and signed the world's first peace treaty. His popular title, Ramesses the great, derived from his being a great builder who constructed many temples, statues and obelisks, leaving his stamp on monuments throughout Egypt.

Although Ramesses had several wives, Nefertari was his favorite and chief queen until her death around 1255 B.C. They were married around 1279 B.C. and there is a shrine to Ramesses II at ”Gebel- El Silsileh" with a stela from the first year of his reign and showing Ramesses and Nefertari Performing religious rites before deities.

Nefertari gave Ramesses II his first son, the crown prince Amenhirkhopshef and at least three other sons and two daughters; in all Ramses II had 92 sons and 106 daughters by his many wives. Nefertari had several titles such as (hmt-nsw-wrt) which means "great royal wife", (nbt-t3-w-nbw) mistress of all lands, beautiful of face (nfrt-hr) and ''sweet of love" (bnrt- mrwt).

Nefertari participated in both political life and affairs of state and appeared beside her husband in festival ceremonies. Ramesses was eager to show her accompanying him. Because of her beauty and his love for her, he dedicated the small temple of Abu-Simbel to her (jointly with the goddess of love and joy, hathor) , an honor never granted to any other queen. There are six statues on the temple façade, two portraying Nefertari in the same size as the king b(33 feet high) .

Ramesses II ordered that a beautiful tomb be built for his beloved wife in the valley of the queens which the ancient Egyptians called st-nfrw, "meaning place of beauty". Today it is known as Biban - El Harim. It is located on the southwestern side of Theban Necropolis.

The tomb of Nefertari is the most beautiful in the entire valley of the queens. It is an elegant structure with unusual decorative motifs and vividly colored scenes portraying Nefertari wearing long, transparent white garments and lavish jewels. She must have been a charming woman. She is shown with a beautiful face, slim- waisted body, delicate hand gesture and majestic posture which also reflect the skill of the artist. The ceiling of the tomb is decorated with yellow stars on the blue background, representing the heavens.

The tomb was discovered by the Italian archeologist "Schiaparelli" in 1904. It consists of an entrance with a staircase leading down to a hall measuring 17 feet by 17.5 feet, where there is a rock – cut bench with niches and a cavetto cornice to hold funerary items. There is a side – chamber to the right and a corridor with steps leading down to the burial chamber which has four pillars and three small side chambers. The site of the sarcophagus is sunken slightly below the ground.

Unfortunately, the tomb was carved from poor quality limestone so that rainwater seeped through cracks and joints for several thousand years. Salts grew and crystallized behind the plaster layer with the paintings, pushing them outward and causing them to fall off.

The decorations on this tomb are religious – funerary and distinguished by fine detail and balanced composition, however, according to the opinions of some experts they are coldly academic. Visitors in general, on the other hand, are fascinated by the pictures

Schiaparelli had written that " the size of the figures , the variety of colors , the magnificence and firmness of style make this tomb one of the most important monuments in Theban necropolis.

It is important to highlight the profound symbolic meaning of the paintings on Nefertari tomb which illustrate some chapters of a ritual the Egyptians called " formulas for coming out into the day" the title" book of the dead" was attributed to it relatively recently in 1842, by scholar R. Lepsiius. These paintings portray the queens long journey in the after world .

Land of Fascination "Hurghada"

Hurghada stretches for about 36 kilometres (22 mi) along the seashore of the red sea. It is a charming winter resort attracting a lot of visitors searching the right place for relaxation, meditation and fun as well. It was in progress from a small fishing village to one of the best tourist resorts fascinating swimmers and divers. Today there is 20 Km of beach hotels where everyone can have serenity, joy and fun. Visitors are intrigued by scuba diving; windsurfing and desert safaris. Moreover, they enjoy the crystal blue water, sunshine and spectacular treasures of the red sea by riding a delightful submarine cruising in the middle of natural coral reefs and colorful fish. Diving is practiced in one of the most perfect places worldwide with nothing except a mask, snorkel, and flippers. Hurghada is divided into three parts: (El Dahar) is the downtown, kept vivid by its bazaars and mosques reflecting the Egyptian characteristic, Sekalla is the city center and El Memsha (Village road) is the modern part.

Reference:" Hurghada, land of fascination, by Dr. Jihan