The capitals of the pillars bear the face of the goddess Hathor; this type of column is known as Hathoric. The bas-reliefs in the pillared hall illustrate the deification of the king, the destruction of his enemies in the north and south (in these scenes the king is accompanied by his wife), and the queen making offerings to the goddesses Hathor and Mut. The hypostyle hall is followed by a vestibule, access to which is given by three large doors. On the south and the north walls of this chamber there are two graceful and poetic bas-reliefs of the king and his consort presenting papyrus plants to Hathor, who is depicted as a cow on a boat sailing in a thicket of papyri. On the west wall, Ramesses II and Nefertari are depicted making offerings to the god Horus and the divinities of the Cataracts—Satis, Anubis and Khnum. The rock-cut sanctuary and the two side chambers are connected to the transverse vestibule and are aligned with the axis of the temple. The bas-reliefs on the side walls of the small sanctuary represent scenes of offerings to various gods made either by the pharaoh or the queen. On the back wall, which lies to the west along the axis of the temple, there is a niche in which Hathor, as a divine cow, seems to be coming out of the mountain: the goddess is depicted as the Mistress of the temple dedicated to her and to queen Nefertari, who is intimately linked to the goddess. Historic photographs Climate Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as hot desert (BWh). Gallery See also List of ancient Egyptian sites, including sites of temples List of archaeoastronomical sites sorted by country List of colossal sculptures in situ References Further reading - Highly detailed article describing the process of saving and creating a new location for the temples. External links Abu Simbel at the website of Egypt State Information Service 13th-century BC establishments in Egypt 1813 archaeological discoveries Archaeological sites in Egypt Buildings and structures completed in the 13th century BC Colossal statues in Egypt Egyptian temples Lake Nasser Monuments and memorials in Egypt Nefertari Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt Open-air museums in Egypt Ramesses II Relocated ancient Egyptian monuments Rock reliefs in Egypt Stone buildings Tourist attractions in Egypt World Heritage Sites in Egypt International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia Rock-cut architecture Ra