 UNESCO brochure on the anniversary of the campaign | |
 The relocated monuments were fromLower Nubia, roughly betweenAswan andWadi Halfa. The area was entirely submerged by the creation ofLake Nasser | |
| Location | Aswan Governorate, Egypt |
|---|---|
| Region | Nubia |
| Official name | Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | i, iii, vi |
| Designated | 1979 (3rdsession) |
| Reference no. | 88 |
| Region | Arab States |
TheInternational Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia was the effort to relocate 22 monuments inLower Nubia, inSouthern Egypt and northernSudan, between 1960 and 1980. This was done in order to make way for the building of theAswan Dam, at theNile's first cataract (shallow rapids), a project launched following the1952 Egyptian revolution.[1] This project was undertaken underUNESCO leadership and a coalition of fifty countries. This process led to the creation of theWorld Heritage Convention in 1972, and thus the system of UNESCOWorld Heritage Sites.[2]
The construction of theAswan Dam was a key objective of the new regime theFree Officers movement of 1952 in order to better control flooding, provide increased water storage for irrigation and generatehydroelectricity,[1] all of which were seen as pivotal for theindustrialisation ofEgypt.
The building of the dam was to result in the creation ofLake Nasser, which would submerge the banks of the Nile along its entire 479 km (298 mi) length south of the dam – flooding the entire area of historical Lower Nubia. This region was home to 22 critical historical sites, including but not limited to theAbu Simbel temples; as well as the temples atPhilae,Kalabsha andAmada.
It was described in theUNESCO Courier as "the greatest archaeological rescue operation of all time".[3]
In April 1979, the monuments were inscribed on the World Heritage List as theNubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae, as one of the second group of properties added to the list (the first 12 had been added in 1978).[4]
In 1954,UNESCO founded the CEDAE (Centre d'Étude et de Documentation sur l'Ancienne Égypte, in English the Documentation and Study Centre for the History of the Art and Civilization of Ancient Egypt) inCairo under the direction ofChristiane Desroches Noblecourt, who was a FrenchEgyptologist at theLouvre. The Study Centre worked on documenting over 400 private tombs, primarily through photography andphotogrammetry.[1]
Aware that planning was underway for the Aswan high dam and of the potential threat that it posed to Nubian monuments, CEDAE, with the permission of UNESCO decided to concentrate its efforts onNubia. Desroches-Noblecourt became determined to do her best to save the monuments and in particular Abu Simbel that were threatened by any lake created by the new dam.[5]
To enlist support she arranged for Luther Evans, the director general of UNESCO, while on a visit to Egypt to visit Abu Simbel. "Despite at the end of his visit proclaiming "These works are imperishable and must be protected. We must take action to do so", UNESCO took no action.[6]
At an international conference of museum directors and antiquities experts in Paris in May 1955 organised by the International Council of Museums Desroches-Noblecourt argued that every effort needed to be made to save the monuments of Nubia.[7] Though sympathetic to her appeal, attendees had doubts that it was even technologically possible to do anything with some of the view that there were higher priorities. A short time later UNESCO's chief lawyer, the Egyptian Hanna Sabba suggested she try and enlist the support ofRené Maheu who was currently the undersecretary of UNESCO.[7] Maheu promised his support. By September 1955, field expeditions under Dr. Ahmed Badawi were being undertaken inNubia with UNESCO permission.
In the aftermath of the Suez Crisis Desroches-Noblecourt along with all other British and French citizens were confined to their homes or hotels before being expelled from the country in early November 1956. Then at the end of December in that year UNESCO was informed by the Egyptian government that while they would no longer welcome British and French experts, they would make an exception for her.[8] With the approval of the French government she returned to her position at CEDAE. To make up for the restriction on hiring British and French experts, she used her international contacts to recruit specialists from other countries as CEDAE raced to document the monuments of Nubia. When she became aware of the Egyptian governments plan to close theFrench Institute of Oriental Archaeology (IFAO) she was able to, with the support of the Canadian ambassador and a lawyer hired by the French government, broker an arrangement that allowed the IFAO to continue.[8] Despite numerous appeals to Egyptian and UNESCO to save the Nubian monuments she was making no progress.
Among those who had rejected Desroches-Noblecourt's appeals wasTharwat Okasha, head of the newly createdEgyptian Ministry of Culture which had been established in 1958 and had responsibility for all of the country's antiquities. However, in late 1958 he had a sudden epiphany following a visit byRaymond A. Hare, United States ambassador to Egypt, andJames Rorimer, the director of theMetropolitan Museum in New York. During their meeting, Rorimer made the comment that since Egypt wasn't prepared to protect its own monuments, it would be better to sell them off to countries that could.[9] Several years later he described being, "haunted by the threat of appalling loss. I deemed it the duty of the Ministry of Culture to plan the salvation of the threatened monuments. Preserving our treasures for posterity became the imperative, and I determined then that the impossible would be made possible."[9] At a discussion the next day with Desroches-Noblecourt, where he recounted the insult he had felt at Rorimer's remarks, she proposed that Egypt join forces with UNESCO in a campaign to save them.[9] By now Maheu was deputy director general at UNESCO and in a position to help. In January 1959 Maheu met with Okasha in Cairo. Immediately upon his return to Paris, Maheu hadVittorino Veronese, the director general of UNESCO call Okasha on the telephone to express his full support for a campaign to save the monuments.
At the time the Egyptian government was dedicated to improving the country and had placed little importance in preserving its heritage, though it had taken pride in pharaonic Egypt's accomplishments. It took until early April 1959 before Okasha was able to convince Nasser to agree to asking for international assistance. Nasser also agreed to Okasha's proposal that Egypt would cover a third of the cost, with the project overseen by UNESCO and the Ministry of Culture. In return for their financial assistance, Egypt would offer inducements to financial contributors. This took the form of gifts of a number of antiquities, including four Nubian temples, while foreign archaeologists would be granted not only access to threatened Nubian sites, but countries would be allowed to keep half of what was uncovered.[10][11] This was a dramatic reversal of the country's 30 year long reluctance to allowing foreign archaeologists to receive a share of any finds. The day after receiving Nasser's approval, Desroches-Noblecourt drafted a letter on Okasha's request, which Nasser signed on 4 April 1959 and she hand-delivered in April to UNESCO, which formally requested UNESCO's assistance.[11] In June 1959 UNESCO's executive authorised Veronese to produce a plan on how to undertake the saving of the monuments.
To provide information for the plan, teams of experts from CEDAE were dispatched across Nubia to conduct ground inspections of the threatened monuments. Meanwhile, Desroches-Noblecourt engaged engineers from France's National Geographical Institute to conduct an aerial survey of Nubia, using aircraft from theEgyptian air force. In October 1959, an international multi-disciplinary committee of experts from UNESCO, lead byJohn Brew, the head ofHarvard'sPeabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, spent 10 days being escorted by Desroches-Noblecourt around Nubia.[12] The committee's report, which was countersigned by the Egyptian government, recommended that efforts be made to save 24 monuments stating that their loss would be "an irreparable loss for the world." The report was accepted in November 1959 by UNESCO's executive council and approved by its general conference in January 1960.[12]
On 9 January 1960 formal construction began on the Aswan High Dam.
In early 1960, Veronese officially submitted a proposal to the executive board of UNESCO to attempt to save the monuments, pointing out various concerns regarding the need to preserveNubian cultural heritage sites inEgypt andSudan, while promoting the welfare ofEgypt in relation to the proposedAswan Dam. In the proposal he stated: "It is not easy to choose between a heritage of the past and the present well-being of a people, living in need in the shadow of one of history's most splendid legacies, it is not easy to choose between temples and crops."[13] The executive board accepted Veronese's proposal and on 8 March 1960 Veronese formally announced UNESCO's campaign to save the Nubian monuments.[14] To build support of the campaign Okasha lobbied foreign ambassadors and heads of state, while Maheu, with the assistance of PrinceSadruddin Aga Khan, who was head of UNESCO's international action committee, lobbied the government officials of UN member nations for financial assistance.[15] Ratter than provide money to the campaign West Germany opted to directly fund and organize the relocation of the Temple of Kalabsha.[15] The United Kingdom refused any assistance as it was still angry over the humiliation it had received during theSuez Crisis.[16] It later reversed this decision.To further publicise the campaign Okasha also arranged for collections of Egyptian antiquities to tour Europe, Japan and the United States, which required him to overcome considerable resistance from some officials within the Egyptian government.[15]
While the United States supported, in principle, the efforts to save the monuments, the anti-communist orientatedEisenhower administration was opposed to providing any financial aid to Egypt, due to that country's acceptance of Soviet assistance in the construction of the Aswan High Dam.[17] However, that position began to change with the coming to power of the Kennedy administration.Jacqueline Kennedy, a few weeks after becomingFirst Lady, wrote a long memo to her husband, arguing that the Nubian monuments should be saved and that the United States should contribute.[18] As a result of this lobbying, together with that from Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, John Brew andJohn Wilson from theUniversity of Chicago and others, the administration, who were looking to improve relations withnon-aligned countries and counter Soviet influence, agreed to try and provide financial support.[19] On 4 April 1969 Kennedy asked Congress to contribute an initial $4 million to the Nubian effort and was able to overcome tepid interest from many congressmen and even outright opposition from some to have it narrowly authorised.[20]
To further increase public support for the saving of the monuments, the Egyptian government agreed to 24 small treasures fromTutankhamun's tomb going on a 15-city tour in late 1961 in the United States.[21] On 3 November 1961, Jacqueline Kennedy opened the first exhibition, which was held in theNational Gallery of Art in Washington. Although it was a huge cultural success, the tour, to UNESCO's disappointment, didn't result in any additional private or government donations.[21] In late 1962, UNESCO issued a final appeal for funding saying it needed funding in place by the spring of 1963 if it was to proceed with what was now the only option for saving Abu Simbel, which was to be moved by cutting it into pieces.[22] In response, only 20 countries initially made additional contributions.
Aware that the Kennedys had an interest in the Nubian monuments,Lucius Battle, who had been appointed theassistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs in June 1962, identified that his country had acquired a large amount of Egyptian currency as a result of itsFood for Peace program, which sold surplus American crops at a significant discount to worthy foreign governments. The program was required by the rules of its establishment under Public Law 480 to spend this money on economic development in Egypt. Battle proposed diverting $12 million of this money to fund the saving of Abu Simbel, for which approval from Congress was required.[23] Jacqueline Kennedy again voiced her support in a memo to her husband in January 1963 supporting the saving of Abu Simbel.[22] In that same month she was supported by an appeal fromGianni Agnelli directly to President Kennedy. In June 1963 the Kennedy administration committed the United States to providing US$12 million of funding in the equivalent Egyptian pounds.[23] This pledge reenergised the campaign and allowed Egypt and UNESCO to finally reach agreement to proceed with the option to relocate Abu Simbel by dissection and funding, with Egypt agreeing to pay a third of the cost.[23] To obtain the hard currency needed to make the down payments to the companies that would be awarded contracts to undertake the work Egypt secured a $3 million loan from Kuwait.[23]
However in February 1964 three months after John Kennedy's assassination the House of Representatives Appropriations ruled against the funding proposal and the full House refused to overrule them.[23] President Johnson's administration then took up the issue as a way of honouring his predecessor, with a number of prominent Americans (includingJoshua Logan and S. Dillion Ripley) and organizations enlisted to lobby members of the Senate. Many senators were sceptical about the proposal, including Allen Ellender, who however pointed that that there was a little known section in Public Law 480 called the Cooley provision, which did not require the approval of Congress.[23] This allowed for the local currency to be given to private firms for business development and trade expansion, if it had been in the foreign country for more than three years. As he knew how important it had been to the Kennedy's,John J. Rooney, who was the chairman of the House of Representatives Appropriations sub-committee in charge of foreign aid was prepared to accept the repurposing of the money.[23]
Following the lead shown by the United States, over 50 countries in total made financial contributions.[16][24] The United States was the biggest donor, following by France, Italy, West Germany, Netherlands, Spain and Sweden.[16] An honorary committee was first founded byKing Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden to create international support for the campaign, with various world political leaders and UNESCO members as participants.[1] An official International Action Committee was established after under the UNESCO Director General in order to secure funding, service, and equipment from participating member states.[1] They decided that UNESCO would be in charge of planning the program of operations, coordination of labor, and the collection of funding. The intention was for them to serve as an intermediaries between donors and the nations ofEgypt andSudan.[1]
Egyptians contested the oversight of UNESCO, insisting that they could meet demands of donors without UNESCO involvement.[1] Despite this, UNESCO continued a significant amount of oversight throughout the duration of the campaign.[25] The level of fieldwork for the project had not been previous undertaken on equivalent scale or length of time, leaving many to praise the campaign as a feat of the field of archeology.[10] Desroches-Noblecourt, who remained in charge of the CEDAE inCairo, held a leading role within the archeological survey aspect of the campaign. She was tasked with the manner in which notes would be circulated during the project, suggesting that archaeological missions working inNubia would be required to hand over copies publications and notes produced during the project to the centre, and abiding by the centre's publication techniques. Excavations fromEgypt would be only required to send over copies of notes, without requiring copies of publications or oversight into said publications.[26] This is theorised to be related to the post-colonial desire to fortify Egyptian identity in a cultural history following the1952 Egyptian revolution.[26]
The removal of temples was a project of greater difficulty with sites prioritised by importance, with the most expensive site excavated beingAbu Simbel.[10]
The construction ofLake Nasser, as well as the excavations required in theNubia campaign, involved the relocation of manyNubians native to the region. First in 1902 due to the construction of theAswan Low Dam, then in both 1912 and 1933 due to the rising water levels, and a fourth time after the creation of theAswan High Dam. The forced relocation stripped many native Nubians of their ancestral homelands, with the compensation of unsuitable homes for living and agriculture. This forced many Nubians to immigrate to cities in Egypt and later Sudan.[1]
A timeline of the key dates of the campaign is shown below:
| Diplomacy | Relocation work | Aswan Dam | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 April 1959 | Egypt appeals to UNESCO | ||
| 24 October 1959 | Sudan appeals to UNESCO | ||
| 9 January 1960 | Work on the Aswan High Dam officially begun | ||
| 8 March 1960 | Director-General of Unesco appeals to the international community | ||
| Summer 1960 | Temples of Taffeh, Dabod and Kertassi dismantled by the Egyptian Antiquities Service | ||
| Nov. Dec. 1962 | Unesco's General Conference creates Executive Committee for the International Campaign | ||
| 1962–63 | Temple of Kalabsha dismantled, transferred and re-erected | ||
| Spring 1964 | Work begins on transfer of Abu Simbel temples | ||
| 14 May 1964 | Diversion of Nile to feed the turbines of the High Dam | ||
| September 1964 | Lake Nasser begins to fill | ||
| 22 September 1968 | Completion of the Abu Simbel operation | ||
| 6 November 1968 | UNESCO launches International Campaign to save the Temples of Philae | ||
| 1970 | Construction of Aswan High Dam completed | ||
| 1972 | Work begins on Philae rescue operation; monuments to be transferred to nearby island of Agilkia | ||
| May 1974 | Cofferdam around the island of Philae is completed and water is pumped out | ||
| April 1977 | Foundations of the Philae monuments ready on the island of Agilkia and reconstruction work begins | ||
| August 1979 | Completed at Agilkia | ||
| 10 March 1980 | Overall project completion |
The campaign was primarily led byTharwat Okasha,[27] theEgyptian Minister of Culture,René Maheu, Assistant Director-General of UNESCO, andChristiane Desroches Noblecourt, FrenchEgyptologist at theLouvre.[28]
The number of relocated monuments have been stated as 22[29] or 24[30] depending on how an individual site is defined. Only one archaeological site in Lower Nubia,Qasr Ibrim, remains in its original location and above water; previously a cliff-top settlement, it was transformed into an island.[31][32] The relocated sites can be grouped as follows:
The list of relocated monuments is as follows:
| Historical | Relocation | Current | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monument | Image[33] | Location | Period | Date | Led by | Image | Location | ||
| Abu Simbel (two temples) |  | 65m below current location | 13th century BCE | 1964–68 | Coalition |  | 65m above historical location, in artificial hill | ||
| Philae temple complex |  | Philae Island | 300 BCE – 100 AD | 1972–79 | Coalition |  | Agilkia Island | ||
| Temple of Amada |  | Amada | 1400s BCE | France |  | New Amada | |||
| Temple of Derr | ._Temple_dedicated_to_Pa_-_Horakhti.jpg) | Derr | 1200s BCE | Egypt | _-_Egypt-9B-045_-_Temple_of_Derr_(Published_in_Wikipedia).jpg) | ||||
| Tomb of Pennut atAniba | _-_vue_ext%25C3%25A9rieure_du_tombeau_-_F%25C3%25A9lix_Teynard._LCCN2001695389_(cropped).jpg) | Aniba | Egypt | .jpg) | |||||
| Temple of Kalabsha (except gate, see below) |  | Kalabsha | 30 BCE | 1962–63 | Germany |  | New Kalabsha | ||
| Temple of Gerf Hussein |  | Gerf Hussein | 1200s BCE | Egypt |  | ||||
| Kiosk of Qertassi |  | Qertassi | 0 – 100 AD | 1960 | Egypt |  | |||
| Temple of Beit el-Wali | _-_Google_Art_Project.jpg) | Beit el-Wali | 1200s BCE | Egypt |  | ||||
| Temple of Dakka |  | Dakka | 200 BCE – 100 AD | Egypt |  | New Wadi es-Sebua | |||
| Temple of Maharraqa |  | Maharraqa | 0 – 100 AD | Egypt |  | ||||
| Temples of Wadi es-Sebua |  | Wadi es-Sebua | 1400–1200 BCE | Egypt |  | ||||
| Horemheb Temple at Abu Oda |  | Abu Oda | Nubian Museum, Aswan | ||||||
| Temple of Aksha | Aksha | 1200s BCE |  | National Museum of Sudan | |||||
| The temples in the fortified town ofBuhen | .jpg) | Buhen | 1800s BCE | _(33690109520).jpg) | |||||
| The temples atSemna East and West fortresses |  | Semna | 1900s BCE |  | |||||
| Temple of Debod |  | Debod | 100s BCE | 1960 | Spain |  | Madrid, Spain | ||
| Temple of Dendur |  | Dendur | 23 BCE | United States |  | Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, United States | |||
| Temple of Taffeh |  | Taffeh | 25 BCE – 14 CE | 1960 | Netherlands |  | Rijksmuseum van Oudheden,Leiden, theNetherlands | ||
| Temple of Ellesyia | Ellesyia | 1400s BCE | Italy |  | Museo Egizio,Turin, Italy | ||||
| Kalabsha Gate |  | Kalabsha | 30 BCE | 1962–63 | Germany | _(40205520311).jpg) | Egyptian Museum of Berlin, Germany – part of theTemple of Kalabsha | ||
One scheme to save theAbu Simbel temples was based on an idea byWilliam MacQuitty to build a clear freshwater dam around the temples, with the water inside kept at the same height as theNile. There were to be underwater viewing chambers. In 1962 the idea was made into a proposal by architectsJane Drew andMaxwell Fry and civil engineerOve Arup.[34] They considered that raising the temples ignored the effect of erosion of the sandstone by desert winds. However, the proposal, though acknowledged to be extremely elegant, was rejected.[35]
The salvage of theAbu Simbel temples began in 1964 by a multinational team of archeologists, engineers and skilled heavy equipment operators working together under the UNESCO banner; it cost some US$40 million (equivalent to $632 million in 2024). Between 1964 and 1968, the entire site was carefully cut into large blocks (up to 30 tons, averaging 20 tons), dismantled, lifted and reassembled in a new location 65 metres higher and 200 metres back from the river, in one of the greatest challenges of archaeological engineering in history.[36] Some structures were even saved from under the waters ofLake Nasser.[37]
TheTemple of Amada was a difficult case, because of its small, beautifully painted reliefs and was considered "one of the most distinctive and best preserved examples of the art of the 18th dynasty."[38] Desroches Noblecourt announced that France would save it.[39] However, more funds were needed for this project. To this end Desroches Noblecourt requested an interview withCharles de Gaulle, who had no idea of the commitment she had made in the name of her country. Reportedly on learning of it, he demanded, "Madame, how dare you say that France will save the temple, without authorization from my government?" Noblecourt replied, "General, how dare you makean appeal on the radio without authorization from Pétain?" De Gaulle agreed to honour Noblecourt's promise.[40]
As well as providing funding the French government provided significant technical support for the removal of theTemple of Amada. In 1964, the front portion of the temple was dismantled and transported on rails by the U.A.R. Antiquities Service. French archeologists then excavated the rest of the temple with the same railway system.[41]
_-_TIMEA.jpg)
In 1902, theAswan Low Dam was completed on theNile River by the British. This threatened to submerge many ancient landmarks, including the temple complex ofPhilae. The height of the dam was raised twice, from 1907 to 1912 and from 1929 to 1934, and the island ofPhilae was nearly always flooded. In fact, the only times that the complex was not underwater was when the dam'ssluices were open from July to October. During this period it was proposed that the temples be relocated, piece by piece, to nearby islands, such asBigeh orElephantine. However, the temples'foundations and otherarchitectural supporting structures were strengthened instead. Although the buildings were physically secure, the island's attractive vegetation and the colors of the temples'reliefs were washed away. Also, the bricks of thePhilae temples soon became encrusted withsilt and other debris carried by theNile. With each inundation the situation worsened and in the 1960s the island was submerged up to a third of the buildings all year round.[42]
The work began in 1972, and in 1974 a largecoffer dam was built,[43] constructed of two rows of steel plates between which a 1 millioncubic metres (35 millioncubic feet) of sand was tipped. Any water that seeped through was pumped away. Next the monuments were cleaned and measured, by usingphotogrammetry, a method that enables the exact reconstruction of the original size of the building blocks that were used by the ancients. Then every building was dismantled into about 40,000 units from 2 to 25 tons, and then transported to the nearbyIsland of Agilkia,[43] situated on higher ground some 500 metres (1,600 ft) away. Foundations of thePhilae monuments were ready onAgilkia by April 1977, and the transfer itself took place between 1977 and 1980.[44]
In addition to participating directly in the high-profile salvage operations ofAbu Simbel andPhilae, theEgyptian Antiquities Organization carried out the rescue of many smaller temples and monuments alone using their own financial and technical means.[45] As early as 1960 Egypt had started to rescue the temples ofTaffeh (or Taffa),Debod and Qertassi, followed by Dakka andMaharraqa in 1961 andDendur in 1962. The temples ofWadi es-Sebua andBeit el Wali and the rock tomb of Pennut at Aniba were moved in 1964 with the support of a US grant, whilst the subsequent re-erection was carried out with Egyptian resources. TheTemple of Derr was rescued in 1965, and the temples ofGerf Husein, the chapel of Abu Oda (cut out of rock), the chapels ofQasr Ibrim (the rest of which has remainedin situ), and many rock inscriptions and drawings, were also saved.[46]
Early in the campaign, theWest German authorities offered to dismantle and re-erect the Temple ofKalabsha, the largest temple in all ofLower Nubia, with costs paid byWest Germany.[47] Germany's interest in making a significant contribution stemmed from itsEgyptological heritage, including Lepsius' milestone workDenkmäler aus Ägypten und Äthiopien, as more specifically the work ofFranz Christian Gau who had documentedKalabsha as early as 1819.[48]
Given the impending flooding of a wide area, Egypt and Sudan encouraged archaeological teams from across the world to carry out work as broadly as possible. Approximately 40 teams from across the world came to the region, to explore an area of approximately 500 km in length.[49]
In addition to the relocation operations, many countries participated in excavation and preservation work. Some of this work took place at the CEDAE (Centre d'Étude et de Documentation sur l'Ancienne Égypte, in English the Documentation and Study Centre for the History of the Art and Civilization of Ancient Egypt), founded in Cairo in 1955 to coordinate the academic efforts:[50]
Egypt: Five campaigns by the University of Cairo at Aniba. One campaign by the University of Alexandria atGebel Adda. Eight excavation campaigns by the Antiquities Service on various sites. Three campaigns by the Antiquities Service for cutting out rock drawings. Removal of eight monuments, work in two others, dismantling of the front part of the temple ofAmada and financial contribution to the work for saving this temple and those ofWadi es-Sebua,Beit el-Wali and Aniba.[50]
Sudan: Since 1960, successive expeditions by the Antiquities Service, led by a UNESCO expert, for a general survey of Sudanese Nubia; excavations at some of the most important sites.[50]
Argentina: Three archaeological campaigns in the Sudan by theNational University of La Plata[50]
Austria: Six archaeological campaigns in Egypt by theUniversity of Vienna, in Egypt. Sending of an epigraphist to the CEDAE.[50]
Belgium: Sending of three experts to the CEDAE. Photogrammetric and epigraphic records of five monuments in the Sudan. Contribution to the cost of transferring the temple ofSemna, Sudan.[50]
Canada: One archaeological campaign in Egypt by theRoyal Ontario Museum[50]
Czechoslovakia: Five expeditions in Egypt by the Institute of Classical Archaeology ofCharles University[50]
Denmark,
Finland,
Norway,
Sweden: Four campaigns in Sudan by a joint mission. Finland alone: General surveying to the south of Gemai (nearWadi Halfa in Sudan).[50]
France: Six campaigns in Egypt by theInstitut Français d'Archéologie Orientale. Two campaigns in Egypt by theUniversity of Strasbourg.Photogrammetric study. Sending of nine experts to the CEDAE. Removal and reconstruction of theTemple of Amada, together with Egypt. Seven campaigns in Sudan by the Commission Nationale des Fouilles". Payment of the costs involved in transferring the temple ofAksha, Sudan[50]
West Germany: Three campaigns by theGerman Archaeological Institute[50]
East Germany: Expeditions by theGerman National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina to record the rock inscriptions and drawings and the ground-plan of the ruins of Attiri, Sudan.[50]
Ghana: Three campaigns in the Sudan by theUniversity of Ghana[51]
Hungary: One campaign in Egypt byMuseum of Fine Arts (Budapest)[50]
India: One campaign in Egypt by theArchaeological Survey of India[50]
Italy: Six campaigns in Egypt by theUniversity of Milan, as well as the sending of three experts to the CEDAE. One campaign in Egypt by theSapienza University of Rome. Three campaigns in Egypt byMuseo Egizio (Turin), including financial contribution from city and museum for cutting out of the chapel of theTemple of Ellesyia. Experimental work with sounding methods by theFondazione Lerici.[50]
Netherlands: Two campaigns by theNational Museum of Antiquities, Leiden, in Egypt: excavations of Abdallah Nirqi (early Christian village, church with painted decoration) and of Shokan (late Meroitic village).[52] Preliminary studies for saving theIsland of Philae. Contribution to the cost of saving the temple of Kumna (Sudan).[50]
Poland: One campaign in Egypt and four in Sudan by thePolish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology University of Warsaw. Sending of four architects to the CEDAE.[50]
Spain: Four excavation campaigns and four campaigns to record and cut out rock inscriptions, in Egypt. Three excavation campaigns, in the Sudan.[50]
Switzerland: Two excavation campaigns in Egypt by the Schweizerisches Institut für Ägyptische Bauforschung und Altertumskunde in Cairo, one in co-operation with theUniversity of Chicago, and one in co-operation with theInstitut Français d'Archéologie Orientale. Architectural records of a temple and leadership of the Antiquities service expedition to cut out rock inscriptions in 1964. Sending of an expert to the CEDAE by theSwiss National Science Foundation.[50]
United Kingdom: Four campaigns in Egypt and two in Sudan by theEgypt Exploration Society. Two campaigns by the Egypt Exploration Society and the University of London for the general survey of Nubia. Sending of two experts to the CEDAE. Sending of an epigraphist (in co-operation withBrown University). Contribution to the dismantling of the temple of Buhen.[50]
United States: In Egypt: Four campaigns by theUniversity of Chicago in Egypt, including one in co-operation with the Swiss Institute of Architectural Research. Complete surveying and recording of a temple by theUniversity of Chicago. Four campaigns byYale and Pennsylvania Universities. Pre-history research on theAbu Simbel site byColumbia University. Four campaigns byYale University. Sending of an epigraphist byBrown University (Provi-dence) in collaboration with theEgypt Exploration Society. Four campaigns by theMuseum of New Mexico (pre-history survey). Four campaigns by theAmerican Research Centre. Contribution by the United States Government for saving the temples ofBeit el- Wali,Wadi es-Sebua and Aniba. In Sudan: Three excavation campaigns by theUniversity of Chicago. One pre-history survey campaign byColumbia University. Three pre-history survey campaigns by theMuseum of New Mexico. Two excavation campaigns and one architectural survey campaign by theUniversity of California. Sending of an epigraphist byBrown University (Providence). Three pre-history investigation campaigns by theUniversity of Colorado Museum. Contribution by the United States Government for the transfer and re-erection of the temple of Buhen.[50]
Soviet Union: One survey and excavation campaign, in Egypt. General surveying and recording of rock inscriptions, in Egypt.[50]
Yugoslavia: Sending of two architects to the CEDAE. Removal of Christian wall paintings (two experts), in Egypt. Removal of Christian wall paintings (two experts), in the Sudan.[50]The table below summarises the contributions towards the project by the global coalition of nations. The vast majority of these contributions funded the operations at Abu Simbel and Philae.[53]
| Contributor | USD (thousands) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
 Afghanistan | 2 | Government contribution |
 Algeria | 105 | |
| Austria | 37 | |
| Belgium | 82 | |
 China | 2 | |
 Cuba | 160 | |
 Cyprus | 5 | |
| Denmark | 15 | |
| France | 1,268 | |
| West Germany | 678 | |
| Ghana | 49 | |
 Greece | 30 | |
 Holy See | 35 | |
 Indonesia | 10 | |
 Iraq | 63 | |
| Italy | 1,176 | |
 Japan | 190 | |
 Cambodia | 5 | |
 Kuwait | 105 | |
 Lebanon | 40 | |
 Libya | 26 | |
 Luxembourg | 2 | |
 Malaysia | 14 | |
 Mali | 2 | |
 Malta | 0.2 | |
 Monaco | 10 | |
 Morocco | 4 | |
 Nepal | 1 | |
| Netherlands | 557 | |
 Nigeria | 128 | |
 Pakistan | 130 | |
 Philippines | 10 | |
 Qatar | 60 | |
 Saudi Arabia | 8 | |
 Sierra Leone | 3 | |
| Spain | 525 | |
 Sri Lanka | 1 | |
| Sudan | 2 | |
| Sweden | 500 | |
| Switzerland | 332 | |
 Syria | 152 | |
 Togo | 1 | |
 Turkey | 3 | |
 Uganda | 6 | |
| United Kingdom | 213 | |
| United States | 18,501 | |
| Yugoslavia | 226 | |
| India (in kind) | 415 | |
 Romania (in kind) | 5 | |
| Total Government contribution | 25,893 | |
| Miscellaneous private contributions | 36 | Private contributions |
| American Committee for the Preservation of Abu Simbel | 1,251 | |
| African Emergency Programme | 21 | |
| Belgium exhibition proceeds | 154 | |
| Canada exhibition proceeds | 4 | |
| France exhibition proceeds | 459 | |
| West Germany exhibition proceeds | 1,208 | |
| Japan exhibition proceeds | 1,089 | |
| Norway exhibition proceeds | 6 | |
| Sweden exhibition proceeds | 29 | |
| UK exhibition proceeds | 1,601 | |
| USSR exhibition proceeds | 1,602 | |
 Sovereign Order of Malta | 1 | |
| Egypt Tourist Tax | 1,879 | Other Income |
| Interest and exchange adjustments | 1,408 | |
| World Food Programme | 3,518 | |
| Philatelic revenue and income from Philae Medals | 113 | |
| Grand total | 40,273 |
In April 1979, the monuments were inscribed on theWorld Heritage List as the "Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae". The inscribed area includes ten sites, five of which were relocated (all south of the city ofAswan), and five of which remain in their original position (near to the city ofAswan):[54]
Relocated sites, south of theAswan Low Dam[54]
Sites in their original location, north of theAswan Low Dam[54] – although these five sites are grouped within the "Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae", they are neither Nubian, nor between Abu Simbel and Philae
... Qasr Ibrim is the only in situ site left in Lower Nubia since the flooding of the Nile valley
Qasr Ibrim is critically important in a number of ways. It is the only site in Lower Nubia that remained above water after the completion of the Aswan high dam.