Qena
Qena is a provincial capital located about 57 miles from El
Balyana and 39 miles north of Luxor. It is most famous for its
proximity to the ruins of Dendara. It owes its modern prosperity
to the opening of the Wadi Qena towards the Red Sea, which is
a major traffic route between Upper Egypt and the Red Sea. Tourists
traveling between Luxor and the Red Sea will assuredly pass
through this City.
The city also has a considerable Islamic heritage and a famous
Mosque. The Maghrebi Abd el-Rahim settled in Qena upon his return
from Mecca and founded a Sufi center here. Upon his death in
1195, the mosque was built above his tomb and became a place
of pilgrimage. There is a huge modern mosque of Sheikh el-Qenawi
in the main square which attests to his importance.
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