Definition: Abu Simbel is a major Egyptian tourist attraction near Aswan, the site of the famous Egyptian dam. In 1813, Swiss explorer J. L. Burckhardt first brought the sand-covered temples at Abu Simbel to the attention of the West. There two rock-carved sandstone temples were salvaged and rebuilt in the 1960s when the Aswan dam was constructed. They had been built for New Kingdom pharaoh Ramses II (also spelled Ramsses II) and his wife, Nefertari. The larger temple has four statues and the smaller, six. All four of the statues at the larger temple depict Ramses II. Four of the statues at the smaller temple depict Ramses, and two Nefertari.
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In the 19th Century, Florence Nightingale visited the lesser temple at Abu Simbel.
