The temple known as Abu Simbel in Aswan is actually split into two buildings. The first, the more complex of the two, was built by the pharaoh Ramesses II and is a monument to the gods Re-Harakhte and Ptah, as well as to the pharaoh himself. The temple is recognizable by the four huge statues which form part of its facade, as well as its depictions of baboons located at the top end of the facade. Among the temple's chambers is a Grand Hall, which contains reliefs which represent some of Ramesses II's apparent deeds in battle, alongside a second, smaller hall, and two chapels.
The second complex to form part of Abu Simbel is the temple of Nefertari, wife of Ramesses II, which is dedicated to the Sun Goddess, Hathor. The building's facade contains depictions of Nefertari herself alongside Ramesses II, the figures of children and several snakes. This temple is smaller than the first, containing a single hall and a sanctuary, and omitting a Grand Hall. The temple's rooms feature scenes of battle and worship, including multiple images of the cow-like Hathor.
This temple is the most ancient of the monuments situated around Lake Nasser, and is full of depictions of Egyptian military might and the campaigns of its armies. Among these are a carving of a war in Asia, at the end of which the Egyptians paraded the bodies of enemy chiefs on their war ships, while other carvings show the attempts of the Egyptians to resist invasions by fellow African states.
This temple differs slightly in its origins from the other monuments located in what was once Nubia. The Kalabsha Temple was originally built by Octavius Augustus, a Roman Emperor, between the years 30 and 14 B.C., and was dedicated by Augustus to the god Mandulis, a Nubian deity representing fertility. The temple features a courtyard alongside a small chapel filled with images of Mandulis. Some pieces of the temple have been moved elsewhere, such as one of the temple's gates, which now resides at the Agyptisches Museum in Berlin.
