Thousands Attend One of the Most Unique Ancient Egyptian Phenomena
Hundreds of visitors gathered today as the sun illuminated the statue of King Ramses II, at the 3,200-year-old Abu Simbel Temple in Aswan. This magical incident happens at dawn of every February 22nd and October 22nd at Abu Simbel on the western bank of Lake Nasser in southern Egypt. Click here to check our previous article on the previous alignment to get the full scoop.
Today, during the solar alignment ceremony, the mesmerizing sun rays went through the ancient temple’s dark inner chamber lighting three of four enormous 74-ft high statues; King Ramses II, Amun-Re and Re-Hur-Akhty, leaving Ptah (the god of darkness) in shadow, symbolizing his connection to the underworld.
According to Al-Ahram, the phenomenon took place at around 5:52 am and lasted for around 20 minutes. Eight folklore troupes entertained an international crowd by wearing traditional costumes, singing and dancing during a celebration that took place the night before.
Moustafa Yousri, Aswan’s governor, told Daily Mail, “The phenomenon attracts a lot of people who want to come and see it because it doesn’t exist in any other country,” He said.
