Quseir Attractions
The quiet little port town of Quseir lies in a small inlet on the Red Sea coast at the mouth of the Wadi el-Ambagi, sheltered by a coral reef. A center of bedouin life with plenty of local color, it is little visited by tourists.
History
This port at the end of the ancient caravan route through the Wadi Hammamat from Qift or Qena in the Nile Valley was highly valued in antiquity, since it offered a safe landing place even during the monsoon. The Egyptian name was Tjau; the trade route from the Nile Valley then ended rather farther north, at the mouth of the Wadi el-Gasus. In the time of the Ptolemies it was known as the Leukos Limen ("White Harbor"), from which the produce of the Nile Valley (particularly corn) was shipped and to which cargoes of precious wares came in from distant lands. From medieval times until the 19th century this was the port most favored by pilgrims on their way to Mecca, who took ship here for Jedda; and the town has a number of caravanserais (still functioning) built to serve this traffic.
Quseir now ships phosphates from the nearby mines, which are linked with the port by an industrial railroad line. The headquarters of the Phosphate Company are in the town.
Picturesque features of the town are the two modest mosques and the bazaar. Attractive boat trips on the Red Sea.
History
This port at the end of the ancient caravan route through the Wadi Hammamat from Qift or Qena in the Nile Valley was highly valued in antiquity, since it offered a safe landing place even during the monsoon. The Egyptian name was Tjau; the trade route from the Nile Valley then ended rather farther north, at the mouth of the Wadi el-Gasus. In the time of the Ptolemies it was known as the Leukos Limen ("White Harbor"), from which the produce of the Nile Valley (particularly corn) was shipped and to which cargoes of precious wares came in from distant lands. From medieval times until the 19th century this was the port most favored by pilgrims on their way to Mecca, who took ship here for Jedda; and the town has a number of caravanserais (still functioning) built to serve this traffic.
Quseir now ships phosphates from the nearby mines, which are linked with the port by an industrial railroad line. The headquarters of the Phosphate Company are in the town.
Picturesque features of the town are the two modest mosques and the bazaar. Attractive boat trips on the Red Sea.
Bir el-Hammamat
Some 60mi/100km west of Quseir are the ancient quarries of Bir el-Hammamat. 180mi/290km south are the remains of the ancient port of Berenice, largely covered by sand.
Fort of Sultan Selim
The harbor, with its pier, is dominated by the old Fort of Sultan Selim (16th C.), which after falling into a state of dilapidation was rebuilt by the French in 1798.
Old Quseir
6mi/10km north is the site of the ancient port of Quseir el-Qadim (Old Quseir), of which only scanty remains survive. There is a beautiful sandy beach.
Facilities
Beach
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