…but when it is, it"s pretty spectacular. This tiny lakeside settlement"s Great Temple of Ramesses II was positioned on the orders of that powerful pharaoh so the inner sanctum (in this picture, that"s the small room at the very back) is lit by the sun only twice a year. On February 22 and October 22 (thought to be Ramesses" coronation and birth dates, respectively), the first light of dawn illuminates the sanctuary and three statues within: one of Ramesses, one of the sun god Ra, and one of the chief god Amun. A fourth statue depicting the underworld figure Ptah is permanently shrouded in shadow.
It s not always sunny in Abu Simbel…
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Happy Cinco de Mayo!
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Bridge of Hillsborough County
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A garden of prickly delights
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Happy anniversary to the National Park Service!
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Happy Thanksgiving!
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World Whale Day
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Sparkling ice diamonds on a black sandy beach
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Hyalite Creek at Custer Gallatin National Forest, Montana
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A grotesque scene
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Arctic fox in Norway
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Beethoven s 250th
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Val Gardena, South Tyrol, Dolomites, Italy
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Groundhog Day
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Shark Fin Cove, California
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Celebrating freedom
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A whale of a hug
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Fannette Island, Lake Tahoe
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Playa del Amor, Marietas Islands, Mexico
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Cheers! It’s National Wine Day
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Cherry blossoms in Shanghai, China
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New York City Marathon
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In celebration of America’s national bird
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Hey, who’s in charge here?
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Who created the Easter Bunny?
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Till the cows come home
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Trevi in bloom
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Last stop before leaving the solar system
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Acadia transformed
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Old man s whiskers growing wild
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Abbey Gardens in Bury St Edmunds, England