Steven Sklifas - Writer Photographer

Images in this photo gallery are from Abu Simbel, a monumental temple complex beside Lake Nasser in the heart of Nubian territory in southern Egypt near the border of Sudan. The two temples at Abu Simbel were constructed during the 13th century BC (19th Dynasty) for the pharaoh Ramses II and his favourite wife Nefertari. Abu Simbel is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae.

Images in this photo gallery are from Aswan, Egypt's southernmost city along the Nile in the heart of ancient Nubia. Aswan marked the southern boundary of Ancient Egypt and is one of the most beautiful and exotic places in the country. The green shoreline of the Nile here is bordered by timeless stony mountains and the famous river, which seems more like a lake here is dotted with traditional feluccas (boats) carrying tourists around the Elephantine Island which sits in the middle of the river at Aswan.

Images in this photo gallery are from Temple of Horus in Edfu, which is on the Nile halfway between Luxor and Aswan. Dedicated to the falcon God, the Temple of Horus in Edfu is Egypt's second largest and was built in Ptolemaic era from 237 to 57 BC. The Ptolemy's were Greeks but presented themselves to the Egyptians as native pharaohs and mimicked the traditions and architecture of Pharaonic Egypt. Because of being buried in the sand for many centuries, the temple is Egypt's most completely intact and best preserved. It has a monumental pylon flanked by two granite falcons and is preceded by a great colonnaded courtyard.

Images in this photo gallery are from the Temple of Kom Ombo, beautifully set on a bend in the river Nile forty-five kilometres north of Aswan. Dating from 180 BC in the Ptolemaic period, the Temple of Kom Ombo is two temples in one and dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon god Haroeris (a form of Horus). Its layout is like Edfu, though not as well preserved.

Images in this photo gallery are from the Ancient Egyptian sacred complex of Philae, now on the island of Agilkia. The Philae temples were built during the final Egyptian dynasties and in Greek - Roman times. The Temple of Isis is the most impressive of those. Facing the threat of being lost forever by the swelling waters of the Aswan dam a monumental International Campaign was launched by UNESCO to save the temples on the island of Philae by dismantling them and then reassembling them stone by stone on Agilkia Island about 550 meters from its original home on Philae Island. This restoration happened from 1972 to 1980. Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae are together listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.