# Lake Nasser and the temples of Nubia Between Aswan and Abu Simbel, Lake Nasser is lined with the Nubian temples saved from the waters when the Aswan High Dam was built, and inscribed together on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1979. For travellers who want to see the Nubian temples at the pace of a boat, on a three- or four-night cruise. Source : https://sabaro-travel.com/en/egypt/lake-nasser-nubia/ ## A lake born of a dam Lake Nasser is a reservoir. The Aswan High Dam, completed in 1970 and inaugurated in January 1971, flooded the Nile valley for nearly 480 km upstream, into Sudan. Egyptian Nubia, a land of riverside villages between Aswan and the border, disappeared under the water; its inhabitants were resettled, many of them in the villages of New Nubia, near Kom Ombo, north of Aswan. ## Saving the temples The rising water threatened dozens of monuments. At the request of Egypt and Sudan, UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) launched an international safeguarding campaign in 1960, completed on 10 March 1980. The temples were taken apart block by block and rebuilt higher up: - **Abu Simbel and Philae** were moved a few hundred metres, to sites close to their original locations. The Abu Simbel temples were rebuilt in 1968. - **The other temples** were grouped on a few sites above the new lake: Kalabsha, near Aswan, moved in 1962-1963; Wadi al-Sebua, where the temple of Ramesses II now stands beside those of Dakka and al-Maharraqa, 4 km from its original site; Amada, moved about 2.5 km, with the rock-cut temple of al-Derr, rebuilt next to it in 1964. In thanks for their help, Egypt gave temples to several countries. The Temple of Dendur, offered to the United States in 1965, was rebuilt at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, where it has been on display since 1978. The rescued monuments, from Abu Simbel to Philae, have been on the World Heritage List together since 1979. ## The cruise, temple to temple Several of these temples are mainly visited by cruise. The boat sails between Aswan and Abu Simbel in 4 nights, or in 3 nights from Abu Simbel to Aswan. In that direction, a typical programme runs as follows: - **Day one**: arrival at Abu Simbel airport, embarkation and a visit to the temples in the afternoon. In the evening, a sound and light show is offered as an option. - **Day two**: sailing past Qasr Ibrim, a former hilltop citadel that has become an island, seen from the deck without landing; a stop at Amada for the Temple of Amada, the Temple of al-Derr and the rock-cut Tomb of Pennut. - **Day three**: Wadi al-Sebua early in the morning, with its avenue of sphinxes and rock-cut sanctuary, then Dakka and al-Maharraqa. - **Day four**: Kalabsha, the rock-cut temple of Beit el-Wali and the Kiosk of Kertassi, then disembarkation in Aswan. The Temple of Amada, from the 18th Dynasty, is worth the stop: its reliefs were protected by the plaster applied when it was turned into a church. The Temple of Kalabsha, built under the emperor Augustus, is dedicated to the Nubian god Mandulis. The cruise's great advantage is Abu Simbel. Day trips from Aswan all arrive around 8 am and leave during the morning; the cruise visits the temples in the afternoon, after they have gone. The site is open from 6 am to 5 pm local time. ## When to go The 1991-2020 normals of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) for Abu Simbel station show the driest climate in tourist Egypt: - **From November to February**, an average maximum of 23 to 29 °C and nights around 10 to 12 °C in December and January: the best season for the cruise. - **March and October**, around 30 and 36 °C. - **From May to September**, an average maximum of 38 to 41 °C. It practically never rains: less than 1 mm a year. Two dates draw the crowds: on 22 February and 22 October, the rising sun lights up the sanctuary of the great temple at Abu Simbel. Sabaro advises checking whether a cruise departure matches these dates, or arriving at Abu Simbel the day before. The border area with Sudan, including the road south of Abu Simbel, is among the areas advised against ("Travel advice" table on this page); the cruise stays north of the border, between Aswan and Abu Simbel. ## What to combine - **Aswan**: two days before or after the cruise, for Philae, the west bank and the river. - **The Nile cruise**: from Aswan to Luxor, in 3 or 4 nights, to move on from Nubia to Upper Egypt in the same way of travelling. ## Frequently asked questions ### How long is a Lake Nasser cruise? Four nights from Aswan to Abu Simbel, or three nights in the other direction. ### Why were these temples moved? The Aswan High Dam, completed in 1970, created Lake Nasser and threatened to submerge them. An international campaign led by UNESCO from 1960 to 1980 dismantled them and rebuilt them higher up. ### When does the sun light up the sanctuary at Abu Simbel? Two days a year, on 22 February and 22 October, at sunrise: the rays cross the great hall and light up the statues in the sanctuary. ### Can you visit Amada or Wadi al-Sebua without a cruise? These sites are isolated on the lakeshore, and a cruise is the simplest way to see them. Kalabsha, close to Aswan, can also be visited from the town.