Mohamed Abd Elrahman
Egyptology
Yesterday with the attendance of 4,000
tourists and visitors… celebrate the sun’s alignment at Abu Simbel Temple, witnesses the phenomenon of the sun’s rays falling directly on the face of King Ramses II
The Sun aligned on face of King Ramses II’s statue at his great temple in Abu Simbel, southern Aswan a unique astronomical phenomenon continued for around 3,300 years. The event lasted for 22 minutes, from 6:54 am to 7:16 am.
The event began with the first rays of sunlight, which penetrated the walls and halls of the Temple of Ramses II – rising more than 60 meters high – and reached the sanctuary (Holy of Holies), flooding the statue of King Ramses II with light.
The sunlight then quickly spread, illuminating the faces of the other statues inside the sanctuary those of the gods Amun and Ra-Horakhty, whom the ancient Egyptians revered – while the statue of Ptah, the god of darkness, remained untouched by sunlight.
The Folk Arts Festival ran from October17 to 22, as part of celebrations marking the sun alignment at Abu Simbel. Eight folk art troupes participated this year from Aswan, Luxor, Mallawi, Sohag, Kafr El-Sheikh, Port Said, Arish, and Anfoushi presenting performances at various cultural venues across the governorate, with the final shows taking place in front of Abu Simbel Temple this morning.
