VALLEY: TO t e n a l 217 P y l e n o L

© Dendara Egyptian Proverb Egyptian Abydos Beni Hasan Minya Deir al-Muharraq Deir Deir tombs of tombs of Temple of Seti I of Seti Temple ( p234 ) Minya ( p220 ) in Abydos in Abydos in Dendara’s magnificent in complexes ) p236 of ( Temple temple reliefs at the reliefs temple wrestlers in the finely painted in the finely painted wrestlers ), to see why the p227 ( al-Muharraq claim to be heirs to the ancient Egyptians ( p223 in Beni Hasan in Beni Hasan p223 Baqet and Kheti (

of Hang out in the elegant colonial centre temple Marvel at one of the best-preserved of the early Coptic monastery Visit finest upon some of ’s Gaze and muscular girls lithe dancing Admire      HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS

He who rides the sea of the Nile must have sails woven of patience. of sails woven the Nile must have who rides the sea of He Because of the violence of the 1990s, security remains tight in places and individual travel tight in places and individual travel remains Because of the violence of the 1990s, security But however much a backwater this part much a backwater remind- of the valley is now, it still carries vivid But however Much of the green and brown land south of is still worked by hand, often using is still worked by hand, often Cairo and brown land south of Much of the green

is often difficult, but now rarely impossible. difficult, but now rarely is often god Osiris’ head, and a sacred Egyptian burial ground. Egyptian god Osiris’ head, and a sacred temple complexes. But most mysterious of all is Abydos, the supposed resting place of the of all is Abydos, the supposed resting But most mysterious complexes. temple the early Christian period. Close to Qena is Dendara, one of the most complete surviving one of the most complete the early Christian period. Close to Qena is Dendara, early provincial rulers to the remains of the doomed city Akhetaten and the monasteries of of the doomed city Akhetaten and the monasteries to the remains rulers early provincial ers of the important tombs of destiny – from the lavishly painted in Egypt’s role it played their reputation for trouble, they are considerably less developed than Cairo and . Luxor. and than Cairo considerably less developed for trouble, they are their reputation violence during the Islamist unrest of the 1990s and, although they may no longer deserve of the 1990s unrest violence during the Islamist water shortages. The region’s sprawling provincial towns were the scene of considerable the scene towns were sprawling provincial region’s shortages. The water must learn to grapple with the issues of modernity, particularlymust learn to grapple problems with pumps and tools known to the ancients, although even in remote rural areas of the Nile Valley, farmers of the Nile Valley, rural areas in remote although even tools known to the ancients, the effort of a visit and the valley from Cairo to Luxor is no exception. the effort to Luxor a visit and the valley from Cairo of this first segment of . But the less-visited parts of Egypt almost always repay parts repay almost always of Egypt But the less-visited Egypt. this first segment of Upper In a hurry to reach the treasures of Luxor and the pleasures of the south, it is easy to dismiss of the south, it is easy to dismiss and the pleasures Luxor of the treasures In a hurry to reach

to Qena to Qena Nile Valley: Beni Suef NileBeni Suef Valley: ὄ ὄ ὄ ὄ NILE VALLEY: BENI SUEF TO QENA hood by moving toanew city, hiscapital tried tobreak thepowerof theThebanpriest- and itflourishedwell intothe Christian era. earliest 1stdynasty rulers were interred there one of thecountry’smostsacred sites: Egypt’s nant religious centre intheregion aswell tomodernSohag, wasoncethepredomi-close edge.tombs onthedesert Abydos, located Provincial governors builttheir andnotables (provinces), each with itsowncapital. SuefandQenainto15nomes Beni between beyond present-day Saqqara. south of of theancientcapital Memphis, 218 For theancientEgyptians, Upper Egypt began

History To Qasral-Farafra (120km) Mut NILE VALLEY Bahariyya (180km) To Cairo The NewKingdom Pharaoh Akhenaten The ancientsdividedthearea thatstretched Oasis IEVLE:BN UFT EA • itr NILE VALLEY: BENISUEFTOQENA••History (Libyan) Western Desert Abu Tartur Plateau 10 Al-Ashmunein Meidum (30km); To Pyramidof Oasis (40km) Al-Fayoum Tuna al-Gebel Deir al-Muharraq Tombs ofMir Convent oftheHolyVirgin Al-Kharga Deir Mawas To Baris Abu Qirqus (90km) ὄ ὄ Minya 20 2 Beni Suef Tihna al-Gebel Gebel at-Teir 25

Mallawi Nile Frazer Tombs Deir al-Adhra

Zawiyyet al-Mayyiteen River Oasis Al-Kharga Al-Qusiya Beni Hasan Tell al-Amarna White Monastery Abu Teeg Red Monastery To Saqqara(85km); Memphis (87km); Cairo (115km) Al-Araba al-Madfuna 54 and Asyut flourished astrading hubs:Qena Qena Christian andIslamic periods,although area remained abackwater the throughout Cairo. outside this area hasthelargest Copticcommunities to thestrength of theChristiantradition: tinue tofunctioninthearea are atestament many churches andmonasteries thatcon- intheprovinces.aged prieststosettle The encour- Desert by StAnthonyintheEastern larity of themonastictraditionestablished splitsinAlexandriaandthepopu- Sectarian ated with a deity. few placesalongtheNilenotalready associ- (nearmodern ),Akhetaten oneof the Dependant onagriculture, much of the Christianity arrived earlyinUpperEgypt. To Jaja(80km) Abydos Monastery of St Anthony 218 Valley oftheKings Al-Balyana (Arabian) Hammadi Nag Monastery of StPaul Razagat Armant Zafarana 50miles 80km 0 0 Dendara

Gharib

Qena Ras Gulf 53

Luxor 2 Karnak of Qus lonelyplanet.com

To PortSafaga(50km); (100km) 88 77 To (110km) 44 66 S INA To Al-Quseir (110km);