Showing posts with label Al Quseir. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Al Quseir. Show all posts
Monday, 8 August 2011
More adventures to be enjoyed AL QUSEIR 21
Away from the sea, and to the west of the city, more adventures are waiting to be enjoyed. Desert safaris, either by four-wheel drive jeep or riding a quad bike, take guests out into the desert across vast expanses of sand, and past rocks and oases, towards the mountains until they reach a Bedouin village. These nomadic people offer a warm welcome to visitors, who will get to ride a desert camel and enjoy Bedouin hospitality and entertainment before heading back across the desert to the city and its beautiful resorts and beaches.
Further afield, those wishing to take in as much of Egypt as possible can easily reach Luxor and even Cairo, both well-known throughout the world as centres of ancient history. A little nearer to Al Quseir are more Roman and ancient Egyptian remains waiting to be discovered. With the opportunity to see deserts, mountains, beaches and the full glory of the undersea world in a single day, it is as apparent as the clear waters of the Red Sea that Al Quseir is quite simply one of the most exquisite destinations one could ever visit.
A strong architectural influence
Another major influence on the look of the city is the Ottoman era, and the Ottoman fortress of Sultan Selim, ruler of Egypt during the 16th century. The fortress was a military stronghold to protect the port from invaders and to keep pilgrims to Mecca, many of whom set off from Al Quseir, safe from harm. It is for this
reason that many buildings in the town have a strong architectural Islamic influence. The recently restored fort has an interesting Visitors’ Centre with displays of local history, archaeology and culture. Following the Ottomans, Napoleon and later the British Empire occupied the port, which now has varied architecture from both of these influences, with many British and French style 19th Century buildings juxtaposed with the Islamicinfluenced buildings and the ancient structures from Roman times and beyond. The local government is keen to preserve these historic buildings, as well as the area’s natural environment, to keep Al Quseir as beautiful for the future as it is today.
This is truly an area of amazing history, and it is remarkable how well the remains of past cultures have stood through so much time and a changing world. All of this exists alongside modern Al Quseir, which has narrow streets perfectly suited for the colourful bazaars, as well as cafes and restaurants serving delicious seafood, and of course glorious beach areas which have more recently become home to luxurious hotel resorts.
Despite being so rich and varied, the area’s history is only one of the reasons to visit the wonderful city of Al Quseir. Today, scuba diving is a huge attraction here. The city’s coastal hotels, including the Movenpick, the Flamenco Beach Resort and the Utopia Beach Club, the Mangrove Bay Resort and the Fanadir, all have their own diving centres, where both beginners and more experienced divers can enjoy sandy slopes and beautiful coral reefs beneath the turquoise waters. Preserved environment Al Quseir is a beautiful place, with both the natural and man-made environments vital to its atmosphere and appeal. For this reason, the local government takes the preservation of the area seriously, to the extent where the hotel resort staff receives special training on thinking environmentally. It is perhaps for this reason that the city and its beaches have remained so beautiful. Diving parties are limited in size to preserve the reefs, so you will find your underwater experience to be tranquil and peaceful, and of course you will be able to experience a sub aquatic world kept undamaged with responsible use. Impressive marine life The coral reefs at Al Quseir are extremely diverse with scattered pinnacles, tunnels, chimneys, outcrops and caves waiting to be explored, and the sheer variety of coral growth is astonishing. The marine life is just as impressive, with Napoleon wrasse, moray eels, lionfish, goatfish, rock cod, trumpetfish and groupers inhabiting the reef areas, and gobies, shrimp and squid on the sand and shallow waters. Further variety can be found on the outer reaches, including tuna, fusiliers, mackerels, jacks and snappers. It’s clear that this is one of the best diving locations in the Red Sea, if not the world.
reason that many buildings in the town have a strong architectural Islamic influence. The recently restored fort has an interesting Visitors’ Centre with displays of local history, archaeology and culture. Following the Ottomans, Napoleon and later the British Empire occupied the port, which now has varied architecture from both of these influences, with many British and French style 19th Century buildings juxtaposed with the Islamicinfluenced buildings and the ancient structures from Roman times and beyond. The local government is keen to preserve these historic buildings, as well as the area’s natural environment, to keep Al Quseir as beautiful for the future as it is today.
This is truly an area of amazing history, and it is remarkable how well the remains of past cultures have stood through so much time and a changing world. All of this exists alongside modern Al Quseir, which has narrow streets perfectly suited for the colourful bazaars, as well as cafes and restaurants serving delicious seafood, and of course glorious beach areas which have more recently become home to luxurious hotel resorts.
Despite being so rich and varied, the area’s history is only one of the reasons to visit the wonderful city of Al Quseir. Today, scuba diving is a huge attraction here. The city’s coastal hotels, including the Movenpick, the Flamenco Beach Resort and the Utopia Beach Club, the Mangrove Bay Resort and the Fanadir, all have their own diving centres, where both beginners and more experienced divers can enjoy sandy slopes and beautiful coral reefs beneath the turquoise waters. Preserved environment Al Quseir is a beautiful place, with both the natural and man-made environments vital to its atmosphere and appeal. For this reason, the local government takes the preservation of the area seriously, to the extent where the hotel resort staff receives special training on thinking environmentally. It is perhaps for this reason that the city and its beaches have remained so beautiful. Diving parties are limited in size to preserve the reefs, so you will find your underwater experience to be tranquil and peaceful, and of course you will be able to experience a sub aquatic world kept undamaged with responsible use. Impressive marine life The coral reefs at Al Quseir are extremely diverse with scattered pinnacles, tunnels, chimneys, outcrops and caves waiting to be explored, and the sheer variety of coral growth is astonishing. The marine life is just as impressive, with Napoleon wrasse, moray eels, lionfish, goatfish, rock cod, trumpetfish and groupers inhabiting the reef areas, and gobies, shrimp and squid on the sand and shallow waters. Further variety can be found on the outer reaches, including tuna, fusiliers, mackerels, jacks and snappers. It’s clear that this is one of the best diving locations in the Red Sea, if not the world.
Al Quseir, before a trade port and base for exploration…
Al Quseir is 85km south of Safaga, and has been used as both a trade port and base for exploration by many different civilizations for over four thousand years. One of Egypt’s earliest places of importance, the city stands at the end of the shortest route between the Nile and the Red Sea, which made it a vital link
between Egypt and the wider world in the days before the Suez Canal.
Visitors seeking ancient history and a taste of eras gone by will have much to see and explore here. The remains of the Roman port settlement, Myos Hormos, are only 8 km from present-day Al Quseir. There, visitors can still see the ancient portbuildings, and scattered around the area are many Roman vases and artifacts, making this a rare historical location where tourists and locals alike have respected the significance of the site, leaving it preserved for new visitors to find as though they were the first. It is possible to travel even further back into time here, though, with as many as 200 hieroglyphic tablets adorning the cliffs at Wadi Hammamat, which joins Al Quseir to Qift on the River Nile. Many of these tablets are 4,000 years old, and depict traditional reed boats travelling to the Nile. In later years, the Romans built watchtowers
along this wadi, and many of them are still there today.
between Egypt and the wider world in the days before the Suez Canal.
Visitors seeking ancient history and a taste of eras gone by will have much to see and explore here. The remains of the Roman port settlement, Myos Hormos, are only 8 km from present-day Al Quseir. There, visitors can still see the ancient portbuildings, and scattered around the area are many Roman vases and artifacts, making this a rare historical location where tourists and locals alike have respected the significance of the site, leaving it preserved for new visitors to find as though they were the first. It is possible to travel even further back into time here, though, with as many as 200 hieroglyphic tablets adorning the cliffs at Wadi Hammamat, which joins Al Quseir to Qift on the River Nile. Many of these tablets are 4,000 years old, and depict traditional reed boats travelling to the Nile. In later years, the Romans built watchtowers
along this wadi, and many of them are still there today.
Preserved environment
Al Quseir is a beautiful place, with both the natural and man-made environments vital to its atmosphere and appeal. For this reason, the local government takes the preservation of the area seriously, to the extent where the hotel resort staff receives special training on thinking environmentally. It is perhaps for this reason that the city and its beaches have remained so beautiful. Diving parties are limited in size to preserve the reefs, so you will find your underwater experience to be tranquil and peaceful, and of course you will be able to experience a sub aquatic world kept undamaged with responsible use.
Impressive marine life
The coral reefs at Al Quseir are extremely diverse with scattered pinnacles, tunnels, chimneys, outcrops and caves waiting to be explored, and the sheer variety of coral growth is astonishing. The marine life is just as impressive, with Napoleon wrasse, moray eels, lionfish, goatfish, rock cod, trumpetfish and groupers inhabiting the reef areas, and gobies, shrimp and squid on the sand and shallow waters. Further variety can be found on the outer reaches, including tuna, fusiliers, mackerels, jacks and snappers. It’s clear that this is one of the best diving locations in the Red Sea, if not the world.
DID YOU KNOW
When the Roman Empire ruled Egypt in the distant past, Al Quseir (then known as Myos Hormos) was an important and busy port, and in 20 AD, around 120 ships were setting sail for India each year
to carry exports of Egyptian wine, fine pottery, glass and precious metals, to trade with India for its silk, spices, medicines and pearls.
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