The Greatest Archaeological Rescue Mission in History

Discover the incredible story of how the world's greatest archaeological rescue mission saved Egypt’s ancient wonders from destruction-engineering marvels, lost temples, and an unprecedented battle to preserve history.
Love content? Check out our other KZbin Channels:
Higher Learning: / @higherlearningflight
Flick Facts: / @flickfacts
Fact Quikie: / @factquickie
Ancient Marvels: / @ancient-marvels
Origins: / @originsofeverything
Warfronts: / @warographics643
Megaprojects: / @megaprojects9649
Sideprojects: / @sideprojects
Into The Shadows: / intotheshadows
Highlight History: / @highlighthistory
Brain Blaze: / @brainblaze6526
Casual Criminalist: / thecasualcriminalist
Decoding the Unknown: / @decodingtheunknown2373
Places: / @places302
Celestium: / @astrographics-ve4yq
→Some of our favorites: • Featured
→Subscribe for new videos every day!
www.youtube.co...

[@TodayIFoundOut]

This video brought to you in part by our Patrons over on Patreon. If you’d like to support our efforts here directly, and our continued efforts to improve our videos, as well as do more ultra in-depth long form videos that built in ads and even sponsors don’t always cover fully, check out our Patreon page and perks here: www.patreon.com/TodayIFoundOut And as ever, thanks for watching!

[@boburanus69]

The fact that people within the last 100 years managed to cut/move these monuments.... with modern human technology... does wonders to disprove anyone's ideas about the pyramids. Or any other large monument. The determination of a group of people without Internet... astounding.

[@graydenmitchell7970]

One of the coolest details is that they made sure to mathematically orient Abu Simbel in the EXACT same direction, ensuring that the famous solar phenomenon that takes place at the temple during the solstice would still occur. Rameses would be so happy that they had the foresight to do this! The sun still shines on him today…

[@elihyland4781]

I luv this🫡🤘🖤🫀

[@jimmurphy6095]

The people who originally built these temples would be pleased to see them relocated rather than flooded out. Such an amazing amount of precision work. Good show, Simon.

[@GrifoStelle]

Yeah! Who knew the ufos would have come back to help XD

[@Brisleep1]

Such an incredible project to move such a massive monument, we are fortunate that it was saved, hopefully it will last longer than 30 centuries in the future.

[@djdrack4681]

Yet many structures in area surrounding it that hadn't been excavated (or discovered) are prob underwater...any scrolls or other fragile artifacts destroyed

[@marcpeterson1092]

Makes me feel dam good.

[@IAmSweetPea]

@@marcpeterson1092😂

[@ianmorris7485]

Having visited the temple at Abu Simbel, the effforts to save it from the waters of the Aswan Dam were not in vain. A magnificent piece of not just Egyptian history but of world history.

[@Fevebblefester]

When I was in grade school our Scholastic Reader detailed this in quite a bit of detail and it has stuck with me ever since.

[@halporter9]

Me too, I remember it well.

[@EmilyJelassi]

It's amazing that UNESCO was able to move the entire temple out of the reach of the Nile! I hope it lasts generations so more people can see and marvel at the Egyptians' ingenuity, artistry, and engineering... just amazing!!!

[@CroneLife1]

I remember this being a big deal in the news even in my little corner of the world - Nova Scotia. It was fascinating, even to my child's mind, to watch the news and read the papers the brought breathless accounts of great engineering - and expense - to save these priceless, gargantuan artifacts from obliteration. It was definitely a time that showed that the saving of our futures lay in maintaining its connection to our past.

[@kmlammto]

In the 90’s, Egypt needed to modernize the power controls within the dam. The dam had been closed to any western visitors of any kind until that time. My brother was working for a company that Egypt chose to perform the engineering for the modernization. They sent my brother to do the initial assessment and layout the new instrumentation. By doing so, my brother was the first westerner to officially/legally enter the dam in many years. I say it that way because we are not privy to any unofficial/illegal entries that may have happened..

[@ChinoWantan]

I feel like taking crazy pills! A friend of mine an hour ago was here and he shown me pics of his last year holidays there. I told him I never heard that story before... he left my place I open youtube and saw this video....

[@jaredharris1940]

I remember when this was done. Incredible job!

[@nalbano85]

Amazing place, what an honor to visit it.

[@meganhutchinson6435]

That's because unless you have an iPhone Google is listening to you. Facebook, too.

[@2muchpurple]

I remember this story from the time I was 11 or 12, in the early 60s. I've had a strong interest in ancirnt Egypt ever since. 🌺

[@creativi-tea398]

I think the greatest archaeological rescue mission is yet to come. There is the entire of the vast lost labyrinth of Hawara near the Hawara Pyramid. As they are buried deep beneath the sand and the water table is rising due to various human works which threatens the viability of their exhumation.

[@rebekahklinkebiel1021]

For more information about this rescue operation and to discover the incredible story of the woman who was a driving force behind the project, check out "Empress of the Nile" by Lynne Olson. A great read!

[@meganhutchinson6435]

Oh cool! Thanks for the tip!

[@meganhutchinson6435]

I'm a history buff but had never heard about this part of the Aswan Dam saga. I'm so glad they saved what they could. The destruction of ancient sites and homelands for "progress" has always baffled me.

[@matthewreynolds02]

I am in shock, everywhere i look I see other channels you have and they all have high quality content. I don’t know where you and your teams have the time of day to make this much content but it’s great! Amazing Content!

[@LukePalladino-r3z]

Great video Simon, as always

[@Vickie-Bligh]

I remember when this was done. It was world news.

[@cassandrajohnson8988]

While I haven’t had the pleasure to see Abu Simbel, I have seen Philae and it is magnificent. The move was integral to keeping its majesty. You can still see some of the original site of Philae in the Nile if you know where to look and it really is a incredible that they were able to move some many wonderful pieces of history to preserve them for the future.

[@duncansouthern2255]

Cheers Simon, that was awesome!

[@lightningrod1063]

How could they be certain there weren't any undiscovered priceless artifacts that must not be allowed to be submerged? I've never heard anyone express this concern because the difficult project seems to get all the attention.

[@chadlanier1728]

Thanks, Having these screen shots is going to make it super easy to start a conspiracy theory that the pyramids were man made in 60s and are not ancient. It'll catch if I can get Maga to buy into it.

[@peacearena]

When I was growing up in the early 60s, my father subscribed to National Geographic magazine. I usually looked at it casually: the photography was exceptional. But the only story I remember is the one about this project.

[@amandajones661]

Wow! Just wow!

[@Wild_Bill57]

I remember a National Geographic issue with a wonderful story and pictures of this story. If interested, well worth the read.

[@juliadagnall5816]

The modestly sized Temple of Dendur was gifted to the US as a thank you for their involvement. There was a bit of a tussle over which city or institution should receive it with Jackie Kennedy (who had been a big supporter of the Abu Simbel project) pushing for Washington, but it was feared that the sandstone structure wouldn’t survive long outside in the humid climate and since the Metropolitan Museum of Art was able to promise to build an enclosed wing to receive it the temple was given to the Met where it remains today.

[@nunya___]

Excellent.

[@kaldogorath]

Take a shot every time Simon says "one of the largest."

[@melangellatc1718]

Oh, Aswan dam… We learned about this many many decades ago.

[@Iris_and_or_George]

Is an eye cataract called that because it goes white, like water in rapids?

[@lm7_gio]

I dont know if this story feels me with hope about the things humanity can achieve when united, or with sadnessand disgust that such a thing so incredibly rarely happens.

[@adiemuller5422]

8:56 Skips background and history to the rescue mission

[@dyeus4464]

I remember, my very first exposure to fps games was exploring this in Encarta encyclopedia.

[@farmerpete6274]

15:50 the image is of the colossal Statue of Rameses II, discovered near Memphis, not one from Abu Simbel.

[@Michel-r6m]

What keeps me busy is that within three generations (children, parents, grandparents) nothing moved as quick as the last 200 or so years. Jules Verne wrote about going to the moon, the Rolling Stones were 2000 lightyears from home but that had nothing to do with space travel 😅

[@DrSuperKamiGuru]

The Stone family stayed inside the Solar System so they definitely weren't 2000 lightyears away. And the book had everything to do with space travel. And yes, I understand you probably weren't referring to Robert Heinein's 1952 novel The Rolling Stones.

[@ws1435]

My recollection is that there were several temples that were not able to be saved. Lost forever.

[@amandajones661]

Amazing!

[@HistoryBeyondBordersTV]

The video focuses on the technical aspects of the rescue mission. I'm curious about the social and economic impact on the Nubian people displaced by the dam and the reservoir.

[@patricianunes3521]

I visited the the temple complex of Ramses II super awesome!

[@AnnaAnna-uc2ff]

thanks

[@jonc1901]

Ramses the second was my fellow Canadian Niagara region resident! My son had his 3rd birthday in his “palace” 😂

[@ashleyking6743]

0:19 Stand Stone Stratue

[@cherrybeoc3683]

The mix of using both BC/AD and BCE/CE in the same video is causing a weird reaction in my brain.

[@vmccall399]

Come on, Simon, slow down just a bit.

[@jakem3422]

I can totally see another Indiana Jones game from all this history!

[@marcpeterson1092]

As I understand it, the damming of the Nile had caused a lot of problems downstream and in the Eastern Mediterranean.

[@CraigfromFinley]

Yep, we had a comprehensive case study at university about it. Aswan Dam prevented downstream flooding and ensured a consistent water supply but also prevented the flow of all of the nutrients that automatically fertilised the farms of Egypt. Massive dredging efforts at the dam wall were thus required and synthetic fertilsers needed to be imported to sustain Egyptian agriculture. The massive Egyptian fishing industry in the Nile Delta was also decimated (no, not just reduced by 10%, a favourite fact of Simon's, lol) due to the loss of nutrient-bearing waters. The annual 'dry' season used keep the numbers of freshwater snails (hosting schistosomiasis) in check. Post damming, the virus proliferated, causing a bit of a health crisis. That's all that I can remember (from 30 odd years ago!)

[@marcpeterson1092]

@CraigfromFinley I think it also causes issues in the delta because of less silt. Maybe also marine issues in the Eastern Mediterranean.

[@marcpeterson1092]

I had wondered why it was called the Aswan high dam and not the Aswan dam.

[@MichaelEilers]

Great subject well covered but the sound was super quiet for this… you get blasted by the ads

[@bioold8925]

Why is this Britto calling it Abu Simbell? Such a world famous monument. He's obviously never heard of it before and never been there.

[@maxwirt921]

Were all the sites rescued Egyptian? I’m surprised none of them were Greek, Roman, Ottoman, etc.

[@EmilyJelassi]

Fascinating video, but it would've been really helpful if you had just explained what a cataract is/was... I had to pause the video to Google it!

[@kx4532]

Is statue 3 still broken

[@CroneLife1]

They laid the stones in their new location in precisely the aspect and condition in which they were found in the original location.

[@rickyburnside7339]

Slightly salty water This is the first iv ever heard of this . Can someone explain please

[@Dumbledorth]

Millions of years from now there's gonna be so many old structures everywhere we wont have room for any new ones

[@edwardanderson1053]

Rome never conquered Nubia, had a war and signed a peace treaty. A slight error.

[@karagiannisboris]

why so many year after we need to cut this thing in smaller peaces to transport it?

[@hi-fidude6670]

As a huge Egypt nerd I approve this video

[@Youtublosingit]

Only fools seek immortality

[@terdsie]

Please normalize your audio.

[@jameswells554]

Wait; Nasser was anti-Communist and anti-Capitalist, but wanted aid from both. What I'm hearing is he wanted to base his "Economy" pan-handling Tourists for pocket change.

[@auro1986]

you only funded rescue missions to rescue treasures

[@graphixkillzzz]

"the gates of IMMORTALITY" "hold up, let's move the gates before they're destroyed" 🤭🤦‍♂️

[@benpierce1774]

E tu 😮

[@tishahouse846]

Ukwales ❤

[@Mr.MashenIt]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jHTZY4eCpM2Vjrs Someone should help that guy. They all are just standing around looking at him while he does all the work. On a real note, no other way to do that other than hoping for the best?

[@fletchandfin9178]

This is the only video in which I feel that you ruined something for me. No more. Some things just need to be left alone.

[@jasonvaughan5128]

There is no proof of who built these. NON! all speculation or lies or both.

[@LordSlag]

Disagree. It's VERY easy to choose between temples and crops.

[@patricksanders858]

That's because our rulers are not God's, despite the Great Bronzed One belief.

[@TheBestDog]

@@patricksanders858 Do you mean, Pumpkin Spice Palpatine, Mascara Bandit, Coppertone Cowboy, Capt. Bone Spurs, Half-Price Pooten, Orange Grifter, and the Tangerine Tyrant?

[@dorianthegrey]

Yes... Depending on your values though changes which you side on

[@LordSlag]

@ Your god isn't real. And, anyone who would value a building over feeding people is evil.

[@LordSlag]

@ Anyone who would value a building over feeding people is evil.

[@dwaynecunningham2164]

🤓

[@bensoncheung2801]

🦣

[@christopherbouman160]

You’re the kind of Kabbalist who thinks he can defy God and become immortal without him. Fact is we are all immortal in heaven or hell.

[@user-gj9cn7tn5r]

These monuments are priceless. A protective dam will cost $82 million dollars. That’s too much. No. Soooooo…they aren’t really priceless then?

[@جع-ف1ط]

قالَ الربُّ يَسوعُ: «أَنَا هُوَ الكَرْمَةُ الحَقِيقِيَّةُ وأَبِي الكَرَّام.كُلُّ غُصْنٍ فِيَّ لا يَحْمِلُ ثَمَرًا يَقْطَعُهُ، وكُلُّ غُصْنٍ يَحْمِلُ ثَمَرًا يُنَقِّيهِ لِيَحْمِلَ ثَمَرًا أَكْثَر.أَنْتُمُ الآنَ أَنْقِيَاءُ بِفَضْلِ الكَلِمَةِ الَّتِي كَلَّمْتُكُم بِهَا.أُثْبُتُوا فِيَّ، وأَنَا فِيكُم. كَمَا أَنَّ الغُصْنَ لا يَقْدِرُ أَنْ يَحْمِلَ ثَمَرًا مِنْ تِلْقَاءِ ذَاتِهِ، إِنْ لَمْ يَثْبُتْ في الكَرْمَة، كَذلِكَ أَنْتُم أَيْضًا إِنْ لَمْ تَثْبُتُوا فِيَّ.أَنَا هُوَ الكَرْمَةُ وأَنْتُمُ الأَغْصَان. مَنْ يَثْبُتُ فِيَّ وأَنَا فِيه، يَحْمِلُ ثَمَرًا كَثيرًا، لأَنَّكُم بِدُونِي لا تَقْدِرُونَ أَنْ تَفْعَلُوا شَيْئًا.مَنْ لا يَثْبُتُ فِيَّ يُطْرَحُ كَالغُصْنِ خَارِجًا ويَيْبَس. وتُجْمَعُ الأَغْصَانُ اليَابِسَة، وتُطْرَحُ في النَّارِ فَتَحْتَرِق.إِنْ تَثْبُتُوا فِيَّ، وتَثْبُتْ أَقْوَالِي فِيكُم، تَطْلُبُوا مَا تَشَاؤُونَ فَيَكُونَ لَكُم.بِهذَا يُمَجَّدُ أَبِي أَنْ تَحْمِلُوا ثَمَرًا كَثيرًا، وتَصِيرُوا لي تَلاميذ.>>>>>.>.>.>.>.

[@THE-X-Force]

Scammer reported.

[@Haashi77k]

I Support Egypt, our Brother and sisters. MAY ALLAH PROTECT THEM AMEN. 💪🇪🇬 🇸🇴💪

[@Haashi77k]

Pharaoh is in hell on earth, you can watch his skeleton in Egypt. Islam is the True Religion of Allah, May God Bless ALL Islamic peoples around the world. Amen.

[@jamesevans3492]

There Was, And Is No So-Called god, little g Connection To Any Of This, Because The Concept Of god, little g, And JE$U$, Was, And Is Only 2,000 + Years Old, Wherein The Creation Of The Human-Huwoman Species Goes Back At Least 470.000 + / - Centuries Ago . . . The Romans Actually Created The god, little g, And The "SUN" of god, little g Concept, In Order To Eliminate The Concept, aka Beliefs, Of All Of The " Gods ", Which Were Too Numerous, Into The 2-So-Called deities Concept Beliefs System . . . It Came Down To Controlling The Populace, Through Early Childhood Teaching, aka Programing The Children, Which Continues To Today . . . So, . . . Since god, little g, And the "SUN" of god, little g Are Only Real Inside The Thoroughly Programmed From Early Childhood By Faux religions $heep-le's Orbs, Then, So-Called god, little g, And the "SUN" of god, little g, And Human Created allah, little a, And $atan, little s, aka the devil, little d, aka lucifer, little l, And the lord, little l, and the Faux father, little f, Do Not Unfortunately Exist . . . Ouch . . . Kindly Go Away, Thoroughly Programed $heep-le . . .

[@konaGLACIER]

6 years no ap no lie madam