Berlitz: Egypt Red Sea Coast by Berlitz Travel

Author:Berlitz Travel
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Travel, Egypt, Egypt Red Sea Coast
Publisher: APA
Published: 2016-01-31T16:00:00+00:00

Al Qasir seafront at dusk

Chris Bradley/Apa Publications

The old harbour entrance is now the beach of the Mövenpick Resort hotel, identified by a row of trees in a dip, just after the police checkpoint when entering Al Qasir from the north. All of the low-lying dark-brown silt on the land side was once the seabed of the old harbour. Excavations along the harbour have revealed the commercial and residential buildings of a thriving emporium. Private documents discovered in a 13th-century warehouse known as the Sheikh’s House indicate a huge flow of trade through the port, and include the cargo list of a ship called ‘Good Tidings’, as well as zodiac charts, poetry and school texts.

Wadi Hammamet

Evidence of trade along Wadi Hammamet from Al Qasir to the Nile goes back 6,000 years, with improvements about 3,000 years ago when a series of wells were dug during the New Kingdom period. The wadi has many beautiful rock carvings and hieroglyphic inscriptions. The ancient Egyptians mined gold at a place called Bir Umm Fawakhir halfway along the road. Other mines produced the green ornamental bekhen stone, which was also mined by the Romans, who guarded the route with watchtowers. Their ancient fire and smoke-signalling system protected pilgrims from Bedouin raids even into the 18th century. Closer to the Nile Valley are many wadis with unique inscriptions, but special permission is needed to visit these remote areas.

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