Twice a year, a 3,200-year-old solar alignment built by Ramesses II works exactly as designed. As the sun rises on February 22 (the pharaoh's coronation anniversary) and October 22 (his birthday), it penetrates the 65-metre temple tunnel and illuminates three of the four statues in the inner sanctum — leaving only the god of darkness in shadow. Thousands gather at the rock-cut temple at Abu Simbel in the Egyptian desert to watch it happen. The engineering precision of ancient Egypt, across three millennia, is not diminished by repetition.
Abu Simbel has a small domestic airport (ABB) with flights from Aswan and Cairo, or a 3-hour road transfer from Aswan. The event draws large crowds — accommodation in Abu Simbel is very limited, most visitors day-trip from Aswan.