Over 4,000 tourists on Thursday witnessed the phenomenon of the sun’s rays aligning with the statue of Ramses II in the city of Abu Simbel, south of Aswan.
The alignment lasted for about 25 minutes, during which the sun’s rays cut through 60 meters within the temple to align with the face of the Ramses II statue inside the Holy of Holies.
This unique astronomical phenomenon reveals how the ancient Egyptians were able to determine the right days for the sun to align with the face of King Ramses even before the temple was built, showcasing their prowess in astronomy.
In addition, the ancient Egyptians had such a thorough understanding of calculations that they were able to precisely identify the precise angles of deviation needed to have a straight axis of over 60 meters – especially in a temple carved into rock.
The sun’s rays align with the Holy of Holies at the Temple of Abu Simbel twice a year, on February 22 and October 22.
The Holy of Holies within consists of a platform that includes a seated statue of King Ramses II. Next to it is a statue of the god Ra-Hor, his sister, the god Amun, and a fourth statue of the god Ptah shrouded in darkness.
