The monuments now assembled at New Kalabsha were saved under the UNESCO-sponsored International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia, launched during the construction of the Aswan High Dam. The original Kalabsha site (Roman Talmis) was one of the most important religious centres of Lower Nubia, and its structures, carved chiefly from sandstone, were dismantled block by block and re-erected on higher ground.

The new site, once a promontory, became an island as Lake Nasser’s waters rose, forming a stable plateau surrounded by the reservoir. The monuments preserved there display a sequence of Egyptian–Nubian religious development and political assertion, including royal dedications, victory records, and cult architecture that illustrate both local and imperial expressions of power.

circa 1285 BCE

Victory Stela of Seti I
The Victory Stela of Seti I, now displayed at New Kalabsha, originated from Qasr Ibrim and records the campaigns of the Nineteenth-Dynasty ruler in Nubia. It commemorates his military expeditions to reassert Egyptian control in the region and celebrates his victories over the local tribes of Wawat and Kush. The stela is executed in fine raised relief, with the pharaoh shown smiting captives beneath the protection of Amun-Re, embodying the ideology of divine kingship and military legitimacy that characterized early Ramesside policy in Nubia. Its relocation to New Kalabsha preserved one of the few large-scale inscribed royal monuments linking the early Ramesside presence directly to this southern frontier, bridging the iconographic and political themes found also in nearby Beit el-Wali.

circa 1279-1213 BCE

Beit el-Wali Temple
Beit el-Wali, a small rock-cut temple hewn during the reign of Ramesses II, was relocated from its original cliff setting about 50 kilometres south of Aswan. Dedicated to Amun-Re, Re-Horakhty, Khnum, and Anukis, it served both as a cult temple and as a statement of Egyptian sovereignty in Nubia. Its interior walls retain elaborate painted reliefs depicting Ramesses II in triumphal scenes—battling Nubians, Libyans, and Syrians—while processions of tribute bearers illustrate the submission of conquered peoples. The decorative program underscores Egypt’s imperial ideology while simultaneously adapting local artistic conventions. Relocation to New Kalabsha preserved its vivid reliefs, making Beit el-Wali one of the best surviving examples of early Ramesside art in Nubia.

circa 1279-1213 BCE

Gerf Hussein Temple of Ptah
The temple of Gerf Hussein, or Per-Ptah, dedicated to the god Ptah, was erected by Setau, the Viceroy of Kush under Ramesses II. It combined free-standing courtyards and partly rock-cut chambers, a design characteristic of Ramesside frontier temples. The relocated portions at New Kalabsha include its outer pylons, courtyard columns, and colossi of Ramesses II, while the deeper rock-cut sanctuaries remained submerged beneath Lake Nasser. The temple’s inscriptions link Ramesses II to Ptah of Memphis and Amun of Thebes, representing the projection of Egypt’s northern cults into Nubia. Its surviving sandstone elements retain traces of colossal royal statues and dedicatory reliefs that once flanked the original Nile approach.

circa 590 BCE

Victory Stela of Psamtik II
The Victory Stela of Psamtik II, carved in red granite, was originally erected at ancient Talmis (Kalabsha) in circa 592 BCE to commemorate the Saite king’s military expedition into Kush. It records a decisive campaign in which Psamtik II’s forces, accompanied by Greek and Phoenician mercenaries, advanced deep into Nubia, reaching Napata. The inscription extols his victory and reiterates Egyptian dominion in the south after centuries of fluctuating control. It is one of the most important textual sources for Egypt’s later Nubian policy and provides a rare Saite-period example of royal self-representation in Lower Nubia. Its preservation at New Kalabsha anchors the site’s historical continuum from the New Kingdom through the Late Period.

circa 30 BCE

Kalabsha Temple
The Temple of Kalabsha, also known as the Temple of Mandulis, is the largest free-standing temple in Lower Nubia. Originally constructed during the reign of emperor Octavian Augustus (circa 30 BCE–14 CE), it was dedicated to the sun god Mandulis. The temple was meticulously dismantled into approximately 13,000 blocks and relocated to its current site in the early 1970s. Its architectural features include a large colonnaded courtyard, hypostyle hall, a pronaos, and a sanctuary, all adorned with detailed reliefs depicting the king before various deities. The temple's design reflects a blend of Egyptian and Roman architectural styles, indicative of the period's religio-cultural fusion.

circa 100 CE

Kiosk of Qertassi
The Kiosk of Qertassi is a small Roman structure originally located near the sandstone quarries of Qertassi, about 30 kilometers south of Aswan. The kiosk is characterized by its four slender papyrus columns inside and two Hathor-headed columns at the entrance. It is believed to have been dedicated to the goddess Isis as well. The kiosk's architectural style suggests it was constructed during the reign of Roman emperor Augustus or possibly a bit earlier. Its relocation to New Kalabsha open air museum preserved this elegant structure, which now stands as a testament to Roman architectural influence in Nubia.

undated

Chapel of Dedwan
The Chapel of Dedwen (or Dedun), dedicated to the Nubian serpent god Dedwen, was originally situated within the outer wall of the Temple of Kalabsha. The chapel is notable for its small size and the simplicity of its design, which contrasts with the grandeur of the main temple. The chapel's relocation ensured the preservation of this unique religious structure, highlighting the diversity of religious practices in ancient Nubia.

circa 450 CE

Graffiti of King Silko
On the façade of the Temple of Kalabsha, there exists a striking figural graffito depicting the mid-fifth century CE King Silko of Nobatia. The image shows Silko in the act of spearing an enemy while on horseback, a visual assertion of his martial authority and dominance. Above him, a celestial figure—interpreted as an angelic or divine intermediary—appears to place a crown upon his head, symbolizing the king’s divine endorsement and legitimization. Nearby, later inscriptions and graffiti from the nineteenth century attest to continued human interaction with the site over centuries. The graffito thus combines political, religious, and artistic elements, offering a vivid visual record of Nubian royal ideology and the ways in which rulers sought to present themselves under the gaze of both mortal and divine audiences.

In this historically significant graffito/text, Silko presents himself as a committed supporter of Christianity, defeating the Blemmyes whom he describes as idol worshippers.