Nubia, an ancient region in north eastern Africa, extended approximately from the Nile River valley (near the first cataract in Upper Egypt) eastward to the shores of the Red Sea, southward to about Khartoum (in Sudan now), and westward to the Libyan Desert. 

Traditionally Nubia is divided into two regions. The southern portion, which extended north to the southern end of the second cataract of the Nile was known as Upper Nubia. This was called Kush (Cush) under the 18th-dynasty pharaohs of ancient Egypt and was called Ethiopia by the ancient Greeks. Lower Nubia was the northern part of the region, located between the second and the first cataract of Aswan; this was called Wawat.

To ancient Egyptians, Nubia was known as Ta-Sety, the Land of Bowmen as the Nubians were famous for their bows. The word Nubia is thought to be originated from the ancient Egyptian word nbw which means gold. Nubia was an important source of ivory, copper and gold for the Egyptians. 

We organised the transport to Abu Simbel through our accommodation in Aswan. We paid EGP 1,230 per person for the bus shuttle and the call time was at around 4am in the morning. We bought our tickets online (EGP 822 per person) while queuing in line at Abu Simbel. 

The largest and most magnificent monument in Nubia is the famous Temple of Ramsesses II which was carved out of a mountain face between 1274 and 1244 BC. The rock temple was dedicated to the main gods of Upper and Lower Egypt, Amun-Ra and Ra-Harakhte but also to the deified pharaoh himself.  

The temple was salvaged from Lake Nasser and the operation entailed sawing the temple into more than 1,000 transportable pieces and reassembling them at a new site 60 metres higher than the original site. The move took more than five years and the phenomenon of solar alignment was only a day different. Following the reconstruction, the dawn rays of the sun reach into the mountain to illuminate the inner sanctuary striking three statues - Amun-Ra, Ra-Horakhty, and Ramesses II himself. The fourth statue, Ptah, the god of the underworld is left in the dark. This solar alignment happen every year on 22 February and 22 October. The original events were on 21 February and 21 October. 

Entering through the temple entrance is the Great Hypostyle Hall that is flanked by eight 10-metre high Osiride statues of the king in a double row facing eatch other against at corresponding number of square pillars. 

The detailed reliefs in the temple were amazing. The northern wall is decorated with the Battle of Kadesh, in which the young Ramesses II contronted the Hittites in Syria. The southern wall are decorated with scenes of the king kneeling in front of severa gods. 

Next to the temple of Abu Simbel stands a smaller one dedicated to Hathor and Ramesses II's wife, Nefertari. Nefertari was the most beloved of the wives of Ramesses II. The facade of this temple is decorated with statues of himself, his wife and their children. The temple is also dedicated to goddess Hathor, representing love, beauty, music, fertility and joy.