Twice a year, a golden sunbeam illuminates a 3,000-year-old Egyptian temple

ABU SIMBEL, Egypt -- Hundreds of tourists from around the world and locals gathered at dawn Thursday at a temple in southern Egypt, with some sleeping outside it overnight to witness a solar phenomenon that has taken place here for millennia.Twice a year, on Oct. 22 and Feb. 22 — dates believed to mark the ascension of Ramesses II to the throne and his birthday — the sun sends a beam of light into the Great Temple of Ramses II’s dark inner chamber to illuminate the statues of the pharaoh and two gods beside him. The illumination, a result of the temple's alignment with the sun, lasts about 20 minutes.“Today is a very special day, as you can see. It’s a celebration and a historic holiday," Hisham Khela, a local tour guide for Italian tourists, told The Associated Press. Egyptology enthusiasts and other visitors stood in a messy single-file line with phone cameras in hand, some with selfie sticks and most with bags under their eyes from waking up so early. Although huge crowds turned up, they looked tiny beside the giant statues lining the temple, which overlooks the Nile.To mark the phenomenon, colorfully dressed performers scattered in front of the temple smiled and danced in uniso...