Sun Festival returns to Abu Simbel Temples on 22 October
Published on 10/21/2026 at 10:08 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSSolar alignment and conservation
- On 22 October 2026, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities lists the solar alignment at the Great Temple.
- Restoration work before the event includes cleaning murals, fixing colours and treating damaged surface layers.
- The temples were relocated in 1968 and joined the World Heritage list in 1979.
Abu Simbel Temples and the Sun Festival are linked again on 22 October 2026, when sunlight is expected to reach the inner sanctuary of the Great Temple in Nubia, southern Egypt. Conservation work is also under way before visitors gather for the recurring solar alignment.
The complex is in the Aswan region near Egypt’s southern border. Its two rock-cut temples form one of the country’s best-known archaeological sites, with the Great Temple dedicated to Ramesses II and the smaller northern temple dedicated to Hathor and Queen Nefertari.
Sun Festival returns to the Great Temple on 22 October
The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities lists 22 October as one of the two annual dates on which sunlight crosses the Great Temple and reaches the innermost statues. The other date is 22 February, so the October alignment is the relevant event for travellers inside the current autumn period.
A report published by Al Masry Al Youm’s report on 16 October 2026 says that preparations include specialist cleaning of murals and inscriptions, removal of dust and soot, stabilisation of archaeological colours and treatment of areas where surface layers have fallen away. Mechanical maintenance and cleaning are also taking place as the site prepares to receive visitors for the 22 October phenomenon.
The event is a natural effect of the temple’s orientation rather than a separate performance inside the sanctuary. The narrow entrance allows morning light to travel through the rock-cut interior and illuminate three of the four seated figures at the back: Amun Ra, Ra Horakhty and the deified Ramesses II. Ptah remains in shadow.
How relocation preserved Abu Simbel’s solar alignment
The Great Temple was cut into the rock around 1264 BC during the reign of Ramesses II. Four large seated statues dominate its facade, while further royal figures line the main hall leading to the sanctuary. The smaller temple nearby is dedicated to Hathor and Nefertari, whose colossi are shown at the same scale as those of her husband.
The Egyptian monuments authority records that both temples were moved in 1968 after the Aswan High Dam threatened to submerge them. The international rescue effort led by UNESCO retained the alignment, and the site entered the World Heritage list in 1979. That history gives the 22 October event a direct connection to both the monument’s ancient design and its modern conservation.
The practical consequence is that the same protected surfaces being cleaned in October are also the surfaces through which the solar effect is understood. Visitors therefore encounter a living conservation site, not only a setting for a sunrise event.
Visiting Abu Simbel Temples: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Sun Festival solar alignment takes place at the Great Temple on 22 October 2026.
- Conservation preparations affect the Great and Small Temples, but the report dated 16 October 2026 describes work carried out while preparations continue to receive visitors.
- The temples stand in Nubia in the Aswan region of southern Egypt, near the country’s southern border.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Abu Simbel Temples
When does the Sun Festival take place at Abu Simbel Temples?
The solar alignment takes place on 22 October 2026 at the Great Temple. The Egyptian authority also lists 22 February as the second annual date.
What is happening at Abu Simbel Temples before 22 October?
Specialists are cleaning murals and inscriptions, stabilising colours, carrying out mechanical maintenance and treating areas of damaged surface layers.
Where are Abu Simbel Temples and how do you get there?
The complex is in Nubia in the Aswan region of southern Egypt, near the country’s southern border. It contains the Great Temple of Ramesses II and the smaller temple dedicated to Hathor and Nefertari.
