Nile Valley: Beni Suef to Qena
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Nile Valley: Beni Suef to Qena Includes ¨ Why Go? Beni Suef ...........165 If you’re in a hurry to reach the treasures and pleasures of Gebel at-Teir & the south, it is easy to dismiss this first segment of Upper Frazer Tombs ........166 Egypt between Cairo and Luxor. But the less touristed parts Minya ..............166 of the country almost always repay the effort of a visit. Beni Hasan .........169 Much of this part of the valley is less developed than the other valleys but people here also have to grapple with the Beni Hasan to Tell al-Amarna .......170 issues of modernity, with water and electricity shortages, and since the downfall of the Muslim Brotherhood, with Tell al-Amarna .......170 sectarian tension and security issues. Tombs of Mir ........173 However much a backwater this region might seem, it Deir al-Muharraq ....173 played a key role in Egypt’s destiny as its many archaeolog- Asyut ..............174 ical sites bear witness – from the lavishly painted tombs of Sohag ..............176 the early provincial rulers at Beni Hasan to the remains of Akhetaten, where Tutankhamun was brought up, and the Abydos .............178 Pharaonic-inspired monasteries of the early Christian period. Qena ...............180 Note: due to security concerns, research was conducted remotely by the author for this chapter, except for Dendera, Abydos and Qena. Best Places to Eat When to Go ¨ Koshary Nagwa (p168) Asyut ¨ Dahabiyya Houseboat & °C/°F Temp Rainfall inches/mm Restaurant (p168) 50/122 2.4/60 2.0/50 ¨ Al-Watania Palace Hotel 40/104 1.6/40 (p174) 30/86 1.2/30 20/68 0.8/20 10/50 0.4/10 Best Places to Stay 0/32 0 ¨ Al-Safa Hotel (p177) J FDM A M J J A S O N ¨ Al-Watania Palace Hotel Apr Sham el Aug Millions of Oct-Nov The ideal (p174) Nessim, the spring people arrive to touring time, ¨ City Center Hotel (p166) festival, is cele- celebrate the with the light brated in style in Feast of the Virgin being particularly ¨ Horus Resort (p168) the region. outside Minya. beautiful. ¨ House of Life (p180) 44444444 ø# 16444444444444 66Pyramid of 6#] #\ Zafarana 6 Beni Suef Meidum (40km); D Saqqara (95km); Al-Fayoum Oasis D &26 &24 Memphis (97km); Ü# 4444(50km)4444Cairo (120km) 44444 Monastery of Ü# Sinai &20 St Anthony er Monastery iv R of St Paul ile 444444444 G u 66N 6 6 lf o f S u e 44 z ä# Deir al-Adhra 27 Samalut #\ & R Gebel at-Teir Frazer Tombs ä# #\ Tihna al-Gebel ^# 4 Minya #5 #æ Zawiyyet al-Mayyiteen #1 Beni Hasan 24 Hermopolis ä# & Tu na al-Gebel ä# #\ Al-Ashmunein #\ Mallawi &20 #7 Tell al-Amarna Tombs of Mir ä# #\ Al-Qusiya #2 Eastern 44 (Arabian) Deir al-Muharraq Desert Convent of #] Asyut NILE VALLEY: VALLEY: BE BE the Holy Virgin Ü# 44 #– #\ Abu Teeg Asyut Airport &25 &2 444 Safaga (35km) White D #\ N Monastery Akhmim 444 ä# N ^# I SUEF TO QE I SUEF TO QE Red Monastery 6 Sohag # &77 Sohag Western Airport #– 444 (Libyan) Desert Al-Araba al-Madfuna #\ #\ Al-Balyana Qena 3 er ^# Abydos # Nile Riv #4 Dendara N 444 A N #\ Qift A A NILE V NILE #\ Qus &29 Valley of 44 the Kings ä# &25 ä# Karnak A #] LLEY: BE LLEY: ø# 44Armant #\ Lu44xor 66 050km &2 # ^# Al-Kharga e025miles D D BarisN (60km) ø# Al-Kharga Oasis Aswan (150km) Esna #\ I SUE I 44 F T 6 QE O Nile Valley: Beni Suef to Qena Highlights 1 Admire lithe dancers, 3 Gaze upon some of 6 See the frescos at the Red na hunters and even wrestlers ancient Egypt’s finest temple Monastery (p176), one of HI in the finely painted tombs at reliefs at the Temple of Seti I the finest buildings from late Beni Hasan (p169). (p178) in Abydos. antiquity. gh 2 Visit the Coptic 4 Marvel at one of the best- 7 Wander through the lush LI monastery of Deir al- preserved temple complexes in countryside around Akhetaten ghts Muharraq (p173) to see Egypt in Dendara’s magnificent in Tell al-Amarna (p170), why Copts claim to be heirs to Temple of Hathor (p180). site of the doomed city of the the ancient Egyptians. 5 Hang out in the colonial- heretic king Akhenaten. era centre of Minya (p166)..