Great Temple, Abu Simbel
The entrance is flanked by colossal seated statues of Ramesses II, two on each side. The torso of one of the colossi had fallen in antiquity and was not restored. It appears on the ground in front of the temple.
Statues of the king's relatives flank his legs. From photo left to photo right: Princess Nebettawy, unnamed (Esenofre?), Princess Bent'anta, Queen Mother Muttuya, Prince Amenhirkhopshef, Queen Nofretari. Continuing to the right of the entrance are Nofretari again, Prince Ri'amsese, Princess Beketmut, Princess Merytamun, Princess Nofretari, and Queen Muttuya.
The statue in the central niche above the entrance represents the god Re, who is flanked (not visible in photo) by the hieroglyph for dominion ("wsr") and by the goddess Ma'at, the whole forming a rebus of the king's praenomen, wsr-ma'at-Re (Greek Ozymandias). Re is shown being adored by reliefs of the king on either side. The overall message is that Ramesses is worshipping his divine self, as a manifestation of the supreme god Re.
The uppermost layer of decoration, cut off in this photo, portrays baboons worshipping the rising sun. Faint rectangular outlines, visible on the flat upper areas of the facade, mark the blocks into which the facade was cut when the temple was relocated. At the base of the facade is a row of statues depicting various gods.
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