Colossi at the Temple of Abu Simbel

The temple was built around 1250 BCE during the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses II. The photograph captures the head of the western colossus, which was partially buried in sand at the time the picture was taken. A person is seated atop the statue’s head, providing a sense of scale for the monumental size of the figure. In the 1960s, the entire temple complex was relocated to save it from being submerged due to the construction of the Aswan High Dam.