At
present-day, thousands of tourists visit
the temples daily. Guarded convoys of
buses and cars depart twice a day from
Aswan, the nearest city. Many visitors
also arrived by plane, at an airfield
especially constructed for the temple
complex. The complex consists of two temples.
The larger one is dedicated to Ra-Harakhty,
Ptah and Amun, Egypt's three state deities
of the time, and features four large statues
of Ramesses II in the facade. The smaller
temple is dedicated to the goddess Hathor,
personified by Nefertari, Ramesses's most
beloved wife (in total, the pharaoh had
some 200 wives and concubines). Close-up
of one of the colossal statues of Ramesses
II, wearing the double crown of Lower
and Upper Egypt.The greater Abu Simbel
temple is generally considered the grandest
and most beautiful of the temples commissioned
during the reign of Ramesses II, and one
of the most beautiful in Egypt.
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