El Quseir

Why visit El Quseir?

El Quseir is the only place on Egypt's mainland Red Sea coast where you can walk through a real old town, with an Ottoman fort, mosques and merchants' houses that predate tourism by centuries. Hurghada and the resort bays were built from empty coast within living memory; Quseir was a working port for hundreds of years.

The town grew where the shortest desert route from the Nile reached the sea, through the Wadi Hammamat from Qift near Luxor. Goods from the Nile valley, especially grain, went out through Quseir to Arabia, and spices, coffee and pilgrims came back. Today it is a quiet town of fishermen and government workers, with a few hotels and dive centres on its edges.

The Ottoman fort

Quseir's fort was built under the Ottomans in the 16th century to guard the port and the pilgrim route, and it was strengthened by French troops during Napoleon's occupation of Egypt in 1799. That same year British warships bombarded it as Britain and France fought for control of the Red Sea route to India, and the fort later served as a garrison and lookout under Muhammad Ali's rule.

The fort has been restored and houses a small visitor centre with displays on the town's trade, the pilgrim route and the Ababda and other desert peoples. Climb the walls for views over the old town and the sea. Opening hours and ticket arrangements can change; at the time of writing, check locally or on the official Egyptian monuments site. For the wider story, read Napoleon in Egypt.

The old town and seafront

Along the seafront and in the lanes behind it are old houses built of coral stone, with wooden balconies and mashrabiya screens, alongside small mosques, the old grain stores and a 19th-century quarantine building. Many are in poor repair, some are being restored, and a slow wander is the best way to see them.

Look for the houses of the merchant families who traded with Arabia, the old government buildings near the harbour and the buildings left from the town's later phosphate-mining era in the 20th century. Fish is landed and sold near the seafront in the morning, and simple restaurants grill the catch. Dress modestly: this is a conservative town that sees few tourists.

Pilgrims, trade and Myos Hormos

For centuries Quseir was a departure point for pilgrims from Upper Egypt and North Africa sailing to Arabia for the Hajj, and its trade links reach back to the Roman period. About 8 km north of the modern town, the site of Quseir al-Qadim has been identified by archaeologists as Myos Hormos, one of Rome's main ports for the trade with India and Arabia.

Excavations there have uncovered evidence of goods that crossed the desert from the Nile and the Indian Ocean. The site is not set up for casual visitors, but it adds depth to the fort's displays.

The route inland is older still. Pharaonic expeditions worked the dark greywacke stone of the Wadi Hammamat, roughly halfway to the Nile, and left hundreds of rock inscriptions there, from the Old Kingdom onwards, recording quarrying missions and journeys to the sea. Some private transfers between Luxor and the coast on this road stop to see them, where conditions allow. Our guide to Roman Egypt explains the Red Sea trade, and the Roman quarries inland from Hurghada are covered in our Hurghada guide.

Getting there and combining it

Quseir is about two hours south of Hurghada on the coast road via Safaga, and about 1.5–2 hours north of Marsa Alam town. It is a natural stop on a transfer between the two, adding two or three hours to the journey.

The road to Qift and Luxor through the Wadi Hammamat also starts here; at the time of writing, check road conditions and any travel restrictions before planning it. Some divers stay in hotels near Quseir for its quiet house reefs. For an excursion from the south, combine it with a morning at Abu Dabbab.

Tips for visiting

Visit in the morning or late afternoon, start at the fort, then walk the seafront and the lanes behind it with a local guide if you can.

• Allow two to three hours, plus lunch at a fish restaurant.
• Carry small Egyptian pound notes for entry, tips and drinks; card acceptance is limited.
• Cover shoulders and knees; women may want a light scarf near mosques.
• Ask before photographing people, especially women and fishermen at work.