Discovering the Nubain World Heritage Site

Ezz Al-Turkey

Temple of Abu Simbel

As awe-inspiring as the monuments in Giza are, many more areas in Egypt are brimming with history and allure. Nubia, located in Southern Egypt, is one of these marvelous places. Starting about 2,000 years ago B.C., a succession of pharaohs constructed the Nubian monuments. Egypt established and preserved control over the gold, copper, and ivory contained in the Nubian Kingdom due to its location, which had long been a crucial strategic site. 

The Nubian Monuments, which stretch along the shores of Lake Nasser from Abu Simbel to Philae, are situated in Egypt's far south. Comprising eleven distinct locations in Philae and Abu Simbel, this site is included as one of Egypt's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These locations and assets are significant because they date back more than 3,000 years and are considered among some of the most important Pharaonic monuments in Egypt. 

Philae is an island inside the Aswan Low Dam reservoir. Its original location was the site of an Egyptian temple complex and the vast First Cataract of the Nile. It was disassembled and moved to its current position because floods were a potential hazard at the former location. The island's rich architectural heritage is its most notable characteristic. Throughout its long history and various eras of pharaohs, there have been many principal structures that were built on Philae. Built between 380 and 362 BC, the Temple of Isis is the oldest in Philae. On the other hand, many more temples originated from the Ptolemaic Kingdom.

Temple of Isis in Philae

These monuments include the Abu Simbel temples, which are two enormous structures located in the Nubia hamlet that were constructed inside a rock formation. In 1264 BCE, Ramesses II commissioned the construction of these temples. As an enduring reminder of Ramesses II's rule, these twin temples were hewn out of a mountainside. The outside rock relief sculptures are another well-known representation of the temples, in addition to the mountainside temple. 

The Temple of Dakka, the Temple of Beit al-Wali, the ancient Granite Quarries, the Temple of Maharraqua, the Temple of Amada, the Temple of Derr, the Roman Kiosk of Quertassi, and the Temple of Wadi as-Subua are among the other noteworthy locations within the UNESCO site

Because of the large number of significant cultural sites and buildings, many people view these temples and monuments as outdoor museums. These monuments also recount a lengthy history of the Egyptian Pharaohs. The archaeological zone reaches Aswan in the vicinity of the Sudanese border. Since the prehistoric age, Aswan has been regarded as a crucial strategic location since it was here that several triumphs that led to Nubia's ascendancy were achieved.