OUR DESTINATIONS
Let us help you find your perfect holiday by phoning us on
We offer holidays to the four corners of the globe. If you want specialist advise please phone our travel team and we will be happy to help.
Alternatively, check out some of our holiday offers below.
- Destinations
- Africa
- Egypt
- Aswan
- Abu Simbel
Abu Simbel
The two temples of Abu Simbel, the Temple of Ramses II and the
temple of Hathor (the Sun God) dedicated to his wife Nefertari,
were cut out of the sandstone cliffs more than 3,000 years ago. Not
only are these temples among the most magnificent in the world, but
also their removal and reconstruction are recorded as a major
historical feat during the construction of the High Dam on Lake
Nasser in the 1960s. The monuments were threatened with submersion,
and after an appeal by UNESCO in co-operation with the Egyptian
Government they were dismantled and reassembled exactly, about 197
feet (60m) higher up.
The intimidating sight that first greets the visitor at Abu
Simbel is that of the four colossal statues guarding the entrance
to the Grand Hall of the Temple of Ramses. The interior is highly
decorated with relief paintings and is supported by eight statues
of Ramses acting as giant pillars. Leading off the hall are painted
sanctuaries and chambers. The Temple of Hathor is smaller and
simpler, also with statues guarding the entrance and a
manifestation of the Sun God portrayed above. It is aligned in such
a way that the sun's rays reach inside to illuminate the statues of
Ptah, Amun-Re, Ramesses II, and Re- Horakhty twice a year.
Information & Facts
Language
Arabic is the official language although English and
French are widely spoken, especially in the tourist
areas.
Money
The unit of currency is the Egyptian Pound (EGP), which is
divided into 100 piastres. Most credit cards are accepted in major
hotels and restaurants. Visitors are advised to take travellers
cheques in US Dollars or Pounds to avoid additional exchange rate
charges. Banks are usually closed on Friday and Saturday, but
private exchange bureaux, called 'Forex', are open daily and banks
in major hotels are open 24 hours. Cairo branches of the Egyptian
British Bank and Banque Misr now have ATMs available that accept
Visa, MasterCard and Cirrus and are quite common in the main
tourist areas.
Opening Times
Daily 6am to 5pm (summer); 6am to 4pm
(winter)