ASWAN – The Sun aligned Wednesday morning 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.
Director General of the Egyptian, Greek and Roman Antiquities Department in Aswan Fahmy el-Amin told MENA that this historic astronomical phenomenon, occurring twice a year – on February 22 and October 22 – was witnessed by numerous officials and leaders in the governorate, led by Deputy Governor of Aswan Amr Lasheen. The event was also attended by representatives from the ministries of antiquities, tourism and culture, along with about 4,000 Egyptian and foreign visitors and millions more watched live on television and global media outlets. The phenomenon was also displayed on large screens set up in the temple courtyard.
Chief Inspector of Antiquities in Abu Simbel
Ahmed Masoud said, 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 chief inspector of antiquities in Abu Simbel confirmed that the phenomenon symbolized the ancient Egyptians’ belief in the connection between King Ramses II and Ra, the sun god.
Meanwhile, the Folk Arts Festival concluded Wednesday, organized by the Ministry of Culture under the patronage of Minister Ahmed Fouad Henno and Aswan Governor Ismail Kamal. The festival ran from October 17 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.
Governor Ismail Kamal had directed all relevant authorities to raise their state of readiness, coordinating efforts to decorate and prepare Abu Simbel city to receive Egyptian and foreign guests attending the celebrations.
It is worth noting that the solar alignment phenomenon at the face of King Ramses II’s statue reflects the magnificence of ancient Egyptian creativity – combining art, science, astronomy and engineering in the construction of the great temple built by Ramses II thousands of years ago.
