Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae Gallery

Temple of Ramesses II, Abu Simbel, c. 1860s. Creator: Antonio Beato (British, c. 1825-1903)

Temple of Ramesses II, Abu Simbel, c. 1860s. Du Camp was the first photographer to depict the marvels of ancient Egypt. In 1849 a scholarly association commissioned the young writer to document Egyptian monuments and their hieroglyphics. He learned to photograph shortly before embarking for Egypt in the company of the young novelist Gustave Flaubert. In 1852 Du Camp published an album of photographs of Egypt, Nubia, Palestine, and Syria, which brought him widespread recognition. Just as Du Camp followed in the footsteps of earlier painters and scholars,later photographers like Beato often echoed his choices of subject matter

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Abu Simbel, at the original location, wood engraving, published 1880

Ship traffic on the Nile during the great religious festivals in ancient Egypt. In the background the Abu Simbel temples, built by Ramses II in the 13th century BC, World Heritage Site by Unesco. The temple was demolished from 1963 to 1968 and rebuilt on the plateau of Abu Simbel construction of the Aswan High Dam. The relocation of the temples was necessary to avoid their 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. Woodcut engraving, published in 1880

© ZU_09

The Great temple of Ramesses II, Abu Simbel, Egypt

The archaeological site of Abu Simbel is composed primarily of two massive rock temples in, these cave temples taken from the side of the mountain from the pharaoh Ramses II in the thirteenth century BC, built to intimidate the neighbors Nubians and to commemorate the victory at the Battle of Kadesh.The archaeological site was discovered March 22, 1813 by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt but almost completely covered in sand, it was breached for the first time on 1 August 1817 by the Italian Giovanni Battista Belzoni.Nel 1979 he was recognized as a World Heritage Site by Unesco

© Giampaolo Cianella 2015