HISTORY OF EGYPTIAN ARCHITECTURE

ABU SIMBEL No.4

Small Temple; 1300 B.C. Seen from southwest.

• The Small Temple or the Temple of Hathor was dedicated to Nofretari who was the queen of RamessesII.
  
  
• The six statues, 10m tall, with their left legs set slightly forward, seem to break out of the living rock as they move towards the light.
• Nofretari is shown as Hathor between the two statues of Ramesses II on each sides of entrance.
  Never in pharaonic Egypt had the consort of a sovereign been represented on the facade of a temple, as large as the statues of her husband right beside it.
  

The interior of the Small Temple.

• The one of the six Hathor pillars with the head of the goddess.

Photo: Shoji Hiramatsu

[No.1]Great Temple; Facade
[No.2]Great Temple; Colossi of Ramesses II, Interior of Pronaos
[No.3]Great Temple; interior of Pronaos and Sanctuary
[No.4]Small Temple; facade, interior

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