The Great Temple, Abu Simbel

Black and white photograph showing the colossal statues flanking the entrance to the temple. 1857. Francis Frith, the photographer, was a world-wide traveler. He made a series of trips to the Nile region in Egypt from 1856 to 1860. The rock-cut temple, built during the reign of Ramses II, is situated on the west side of the Nile near the border of modern Egypt and Sudan. When plans were made in the 1960's to build a dam at Aswan the temple, including the colossal sculptures seen here, were moved to a new location higher up on the river bank. The temple was first excavated in 1817. The four colossal sandstone statues that flank the entryway (only two of which are visible in ... North African and Southwest Asian Architecture African Folk Tales African Novel Study 16 History 17 Geography 25-27 Fine Arts