CAIRO – October 21, 2022 People have gathered to observe the sun’s rays touching Ramses II’s statue, the fourth pharaoh of Egypt’s Nineteenth Dynasty.
Sun illuminates the face of Ramses II statue in Abu Simbel Temple in Aswan two times per year on 21 February and 21 October, marking the pharaoh’s birthday and the date when he ascended to the throne.
The illumination ceremony dates back to more than three centuries when Ramses II was in power.
The pharaoh, dubbed Ramses the Great, had a temple on the bank of the Nile which the sun aligns with during these dates.
Prior to the illumination, Youm7 gave Egypt Today photos.
Photos: The Abu Simbel Temple’s Ramses II statue has its face illuminated by the sun.
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