what is important about the interior of the temple of abu simbel
Abu Simbel temples
Remarkably , this is one of very few instances in Egyptian art where the statues of the king and his consort have equal size . Traditionally , the statues of the queens stood next to those of the pharaoh , but were never taller than his knees . Ramesses went to Abu Simbel with his wife in the 24th year of his reign . As the Great Temple of the king , there are small statues of princes and princesses next to their parents . In this case they are positioned symmetrically : on the south side ( at left as one faces the gateway ) are , from left to right , princes Meryatum and Meryre , princesses Meritamen and Henuttawy , and princes Rahirwenemef and Amun - her - khepeshef , while on the north side the same figures are in reverse order . The plan of the Small Temple is a simplified version of that of the Great Temple .
Remarkably , this is one of very few instances in Egyptian art where the statues of the king and his consort have equal size . Traditionally , the statues of the queens stood next to those of the pharaoh , but were never taller than his knees . Ramesses went to Abu Simbel with his wife in the 24th year of his reign . As the Great Temple of the king , there are small statues of princes and princesses next to their parents . In this case they are positioned symmetrically : on the south side ( at left as one faces the gateway ) are , from left to right , princes Meryatum and Meryre , princesses Meritamen and Henuttawy , and princes Rahirwenemef and Amun - her - khepeshef , while on the north side the same figures are in reverse order . The plan of the Small Temple is a simplified version of that of the Great Temple .