Egypt prepares for solar alignment in Abu Simbel temple amid coronavirus - Al-Monitor: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

A picture taken in 2002 shows tourists casting their shadows as a ray of light illuminates the statue of Ramses II inside the temple of Abu Simbel, south of Aswan, in upper Egypt. More than 2500 tourists witnessed 22 October 2007 the sun illuminating the inner sanctuary, which happens only twice a year with a wide belief among archaeologists that the two days mark Ramsis II's birthday and day of coronation. AFP PHOTO/KHALED DESOUKI (Photo credit should read KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images)

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A picture taken in 2002 shows tourists casting their shadows as a ray of light illuminates the statue of Ramses II inside the temple of Abu Simbel, south of Aswan, in upper Egypt. More than 2500 tourists witnessed 22 October 2007 the sun illuminating the inner sanctuary, which happens only twice a year with a wide belief among archaeologists that the two days mark Ramsis II's birthday and day of coronation. AFP PHOTO/KHALED DESOUKI (Photo credit should read KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images)

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The light of dawn shines on the statues of Pharaoh Ramses II (R) and Amun, the God of Light (L), in the inner sanctum of the temple of Abu Simbel, located at the upper reaches of the Nile in Aswan, around 1264 km (785 miles) south of Cairo February 22, 2014. The axis of the temple was designed so as to allow the rays of the sun to shine into the inner sanctuary only on Ramses II's birthday and his coronation. A militant Islamist group has warned tourists to leaveEgypt and threatened to attack any who stay a

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