El-Minya (west bank of the Nile, chief town of a governorate (pop. 150,000) and a considerable commercial town, situated between the Nile and the Ibrahimiya Canal, with a museum. This is a good base from which to visit Beni Hasan, Hermopolis Magna and Tefl el Amarna. Opposite the town, on the east bank of the Nile is the Kom el-Kefara, with
tombs of the Middle Kingdom. 4.5mi/7km farther south, at the village of Zawiye el-Mayyetin, is the modern cemetery of El-Minya, with many small domed tombs and chapels. Faithful to ancient traditions, the people of the town still ferry their dead across the river to be buried and take them annual gifts of fruit and palm branches. Still farther south is a great mound of rubble, the Kom el-Ahmar ("Red Hill"), on the far side of which are the rock tombs, now half buried, of the princes and dignitaries of the ancient city of Hebenu, mainly dating from the end of the Old Kingdom. At the village of Nueirat, father to the south, are more rock tombs of the Old Kingdom.