Events at Abu Simbel Temples

Ramesses II's temples on the shore of Lake Nasser, 280 km south of Aswan and moved stone by stone in the 1960s to escape the rising water. Twice a year, on 22 February and 22 October, the sunrise reaches through the entrance and lights the statues in the inner sanctuary for about twenty minutes. Convoys leave Aswan around 03:00 on those mornings; staying in Abu Simbel the night before is the calmer way to do it.