Luxor4u

I first went to Abu Simbel in 1996, and part of the trip was a visit into the 'workings' inside the mountain. It was also good to be able to see Lake Nasser unfenced - not like today, separated from the actual site. All that was there then was a portable building being used as toilets. No restaurant etc. On the way there, we had a stop to see the sunrise, and on the way back, another stop to see the mirage in the desert. Fabulous sight to see. I went again in 1997 and again in 2002, by which time, it had been 'modernised' with a proper toilet building, ticket booth, rest room and restaurants, and the fence surrounding the lake was firmly in place. Progress? Maybe, but the best visit for me was 1996.

I seem to remember a large room with informative signs and movie footage of the process of removal and reconstruction. When and why did that go? They should have left/updated it.

I guess in the 7 years between my visit and Ruby's the embryo restaurant had insufficient trade to succeed. I do remember a very few small domed buildings on the right a little distance away as we walked from the bus, but there was little sign of life any where.

I've been thinking about the cliff, and wondering if the restaurant was right on the bank of the lake, so the cliff's height appears less now with nearly 30 years of the lake filling?

I had a look through my own videos and made up this short edited compilation that shows the front of the monuments and the rear of the artificial mountain, in case anyone is not familiar with the relocation at Abu Simbel and the view from the back of the temples.