Enjoying Al Quseir Vacations

Visitors to the temple of Queen Hatshepsut in Deir el-Bahri, near the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, might be able to recognize the name of the town known today as Al Quseir if they understood hieroglyphics. The powerful ancient queen sent her people on an exploratory mission through the region on their way to the legendary land of Punt (known today as Ethiopia) and had it documented on the temple walls.

Al Quseir played a tremendous role in Egyptian history, and then faded to a little used port after the inauguration of the Suez Canal in the 1860s. This is because it had served as the shortest route from the Nile River to the Red Sea until that time. Al Quseir had attracted the attention of many great leaders throughout history, including Roman emperors, Ottoman rulers, Napoleon Bonaparte and the British Empire among them. It was also a major gateway to Mecca, with many pilgrimages passing through the city's walls. Once it ceased to serve in any of its old capacities however, it dwindled to a quiet harbor town.

Today however many people are returning to enjoy Al Quseir vacations in the new resorts and hotels that have been developed to serve the thriving diving and snorkeling community that have recently appeared.

Interestingly, Al Quseir vacations are becoming a great deal more than excellent scuba and snorkeling trips, the local government recognizes the historical significance of their community as well and have worked to preserve and restore the older buildings in the town, and to make visitors on Al Quseir vacations aware of the amazing story that surrounds them.

This means that Al Quseir vacations can be seen as one of the most unique opportunities in Egypt. Generally, a visitor looking to enjoy the water sports so popular along the eastern shore of the country would not have a great deal of access to the remarkable historical sites and destinations of the land as well. In Al Quseir however, a visitor can spend a day or two exploring the waters and enjoying the warm and sunny beaches, and then take some time to visit the historic Wadi Hammamat, where more than two hundred hieroglyphic tablets remain, or they can explore the Myos Hormos, which are the remains of the original port and where ancient structures and Roman pottery remain intact and preserved. They can then return to their modern hotel or resort where they will be able to sample some of the local cuisine or fresh seafood before heading out to watch the sun set along the beautiful shore.



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Virtual Egypt Travel Guide provides you access to everything Egypt including Al Quseir vacations, sun and beach vacations and information on diving in Al Quseir.