Egypt’s other wonders

Mankind spread beyond Africa some 30,000 years ago, the anthropologists tell us, but a significant number stayed along the banks of the Nile River.

What they accomplished 4,500 years ago is even more notable when you consider that they had just made the transition from a hunter-gatherer culture. Visiting what they left behind is a trip back in time like no other.

Our trip to Egypt began in Cairo, but we were soon on a plane headed to what turned out to be my favorite site on our trip ? the temples at Abu Simbel, 700 miles south of Cairo near the Sudanese border.

Abu Simbel was not rediscovered by modern man until the 19th century. Although the temples were built right on the bank of the Nile, like so many other monuments, Abu Simbel had become buried beneath the sands.

Neither the Greeks nor Romans were aware of its existence, even though they were building temples themselves a couple of hundred miles upstream. John Lewis Burkhardt, a Swiss explorer, found the site in 1813, but it was covered by so much sand that he could do little more than find the opening.

Four years after Burkhardt’s discovery, another attempt was made to excavate, but the explorers were disappointed by the lack of treasure, and the temples were abandoned until 1909, when they were finally completely cleared.

The two temples at Abu Simbel were built about 1250 B.C. by Ramses II, who ruled in the New Kingdom. Note that this was about 1,200 years after the Great Pyramids of Giza were built. Ramses II ruled for 66 years, enough time to conquer his enemies, expand the empire, consolidate his power and accumulate the wealth necessary to undertake this and many other projects.

Most temples, such as those at Luxor and Karnak, were built of stone on flat ground, with columns erected and buildings created to house the activities and other statues. However, the temples at Abu Simbel were built into the front of a cliff. Four 69-foot-tall likenesses of Ramses II, the largest statues in Egypt, flank the opening to the larger temple.

These statues made enough of a statement to suit me, but behind them lies the rest of the temple, which extends some 200 feet. Every room was carved out of the rock, an amazing feat. Having created the corridors and rooms, the builders and artists proceeded to build more statues and columns inside the temple.

Of course, they decorated virtually every square inch of the column faces, walls and ceilings with pictures of Ramses II defeating his enemies or making offerings to the gods. The abundant hieroglyphics no doubt tell the stories of the pharaoh’s greatness.

The temple Ramses built for his wife, Nefertari, is not as impressive as his own. Nonetheless, it is beautiful. Statues of Ramses outnumber the statues of his wife in front of her temple, but I’m sure she felt honored, as queens were almost never accorded this kind of recognition by pharaohs before then or since.

Whether you are taking in the whole temple face from 100 yards away or examining the intricacies of carving up close, Abu Simbel is awe-inspiring.

Should you be considering a trip to Egypt, be sure Abu Simbel is on your itinerary.

You can see our pictures at community.webshots.com/ myphotos?action=viewAll Photos&albumID;=54900 8646&security;=Orwivg.