Abu Simbel
The pharaonic monumentality of the Nile Valley peaks at the southernmost end of the Nile in Egypt. Four 22m-tall statues of Ramses II, carved out of a single slab of rock, greet the sunrise over Lake Nasser from the Great Temple of Abu Simbel, Ramses II had this grand sanctuary and the nearby Temple of Hathor built more than 3500 years ago to impress the Nubians with the power and glory of Egyptian rule; Abu Simbel still serves its purpose, leaving no visitor unmoved. For a sneak preview of the site, look at the back of the Egyptian one pound note.