Temple of Hathorمعبد حتحور

A Temple for a Queen

Standing beside the Great Temple, the smaller Temple of Hathor was built for Ramesses II's principal wife, Queen Nefertari. Its façade features six standing colossi roughly 10 metres tall — four of Ramesses and two of Nefertari, each carved at equal size and standing at the same height, an unusually equal depiction of a queen alongside her king.

Hathor and Nefertari

Inside, the temple is dedicated jointly to the goddess Hathor — associated with love, music, and motherhood — and to Nefertari herself, who appears in reliefs making offerings alongside the gods, elevated to near-divine status.

• Façade height: around 12 metres, with six standing colossi.
• Unique detail: one of the very few Egyptian temples where a queen's statue matches the pharaoh's in scale.
• Interior: a pillared hall with Hathor-headed columns leads to the sanctuary.