Before it became a modern road winding through the mountains of the Eastern Desert of Egypt from the coastal town of Quseir (135 km of Hurghada City) to Qibt in the Nile Valley, the trail was only known as Wadi Hammamat (The Valley of the many Baths), a dry river bed that served as a major trade route in Ancient times, and an area dotted with Bekhen quarries and gold mines, that were exploited from as far as the Old Kingdom up until the Roman era.
Too flawed to be used in building colossal structures, Bekhen stone, also known as greywacke, was highly appreciated for making statues, sarcophagi and small shrines.
Today, quarrying marks can still be seen on the northern side of the road, where you’ll even discover remains of ancient 35 workers’ huts. On the southern side of the road, precisely at Bir Umm Fawakhir, you’ll find hundreds of hieroglyphic tablets, attesting to the numerous quarrying expeditions and missions in Wadi Hammamat that were led by successive pharaohs. Your guide will help you “decipher” the names of the pharaohs referred to in the tablets, and give you an extensive explanation about the history of this extremely rich and strategic valley of Egypt.
Day excursions to Wadi Hammamat can be booked from many Red Sea destinations such as Quseir, Hurghada City, Soma Bay and Marsa Alam, through any travel agency or with the help of your hotel.


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Tags:Red SeaHurghada CityAncient EgyptOthers

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