Deep in Egypt’s southernmost reaches, roughly 140 miles southwest of Aswan and barely a stone’s throw from the Sudanese border, sits one of the ancient world’s most fascinating architectural achievements. The temple of Abu Simbel rests on the western bank of Lake Nasser in Aswan Governorate, Upper Egypt, a location so remote it once required a multi-day Nile voyage to reach. Today, it draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
The man behind Abu …