The Abu Simbel Sun Festival is a bi-annual festival that takes place at the splendid shrine of Ramses II in the south of Egypt. Consider these 2 days of the year for your Aswan day tours, the main part of the shrine is lightened by the sun. For a brief span of time as the sun completely lines up with the generally masked interior, light is shed on the seated figurines of Ramses II (pharaoh), Ra (sun god), and Amun (king of the gods). Only the figurine of Ptah stays in the shadows. This festival has been taking place for more than 3,200 years. Domestic tourists, international travelers, and locals gather in Egypt day tours before sunrise to see the lighting as the sun rises and cuts through the shadows of the shrine’s inner compartment. To get to the heart of the temple tourists must first stroll through the remarkable entrance with its grandiose facade of colossal figurines. You will arrive at the grand hall enclosed by 2 treasury rooms and through to the Hypostyle Hall with adorned pillars and bas-reliefs embellishing the walls. A second pillared lobby guides to the sanctuary where the 4 sculptures are seated and the crowd stands two-people deep from the exterior walls to let the sun get through the interior. There are more remarkable tours in Egypt to discover, just contact us to schedule your next tour.
During the era of Ancient Egypt, so many festivals occupied the calendar with grand parades made through the cities and the holy waters of the Nile River. Most of these carnivals either marked noteworthy agricultural events in the solar year or worshiped powerful gods or famous kings and queens. Some of these carnivals have survived the test of time and persist to be celebrated at present and perhaps none is as renowned as the Abu Simbel Sun Festival, the ideal nuptials of human endeavors and natural phenomena.
A bi-annual festival called the Abu Simbel Sun Festival is held at the magnificent Ramses II shrine in southern Egypt. The main portion of the shrine receives sunlight twice a year. The seated statues of Ramses II (the pharaoh), Ra (the sun god), and Amun are illuminated for a brief moment as the sun perfectly lines up with the interior, which is typically covered (king of the gods). Only the Ptah statue remains in the shadows. More than 3,200 years have passed since this festival first began.
Locals, foreign visitors, and tourists from across the world assemble to add Abu Simbel Temple to their Egypt travel packages to observe the lights as the sun rises and emerges from the shrine's interior shadows. Tourists must first pass past the impressive entryway with its opulent façade of enormous figurines in order to reach the temple's interior. You will enter the main hall, which is flanked by two treasury rooms, and proceed through to the Hypostyle Hall, where ornate pillars and bas-reliefs cover the walls. In order to allow sunlight to enter the sanctuary, where four statues are seated and people are standing two persons deep from the external walls, there is a second pillared lobby.
At the end of the day, you’ll be transferred back to your hotel filled with new memories to relish forever.
A variety of tours to all areas of Egypt are available through Egypt Online Tour, from Alexandria and the Mediterranean in the north to Aswan in the south. Browse our Egypt travel packages to choose among Egypt Classic tours, Luxury and Budget tours, and Egypt day tours according to your interest and budget. You can complete your Egypt Easter tours to the Red Sea by visiting the most important cities such as Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada, and El Gouna. You will enjoy our Egypt trips like a baby finds his favorite toy.