Crowds gather at Abu Simbel temple in Egypt to watch a rare twice-yearly sunrise sunbeam ceremony

Summary

Tourists and locals gathered at the Abu Simbel temple in southern Egypt on Thursday, October 22, 2026, to witness a rare solar phenomenon. Africanews reported that the sunrise ceremony, which has taken place for thousands of years, drew tourists to the temple. ABC News reported that a golden sunbeam illuminates the roughly 3,000-year-old temple twice a year.

Timeline

1. Africanews

   22 Oct 2026, 16:12 UTCSource ↗

   Tourists flocked to the Abu Simbel temple in Egypt on Thursday to witness a rare astronomical sunrise ceremony that has been taking place for thousands of years.

2. ABC News

   22 Oct 2026, 17:09 UTCSource ↗

   Tourists and locals gathered at a temple in southern Egypt on Thursday to witness a rare solar phenomenon, in which a golden sunbeam illuminates the 3,000-year-old temple twice a year.