Wadi Hammamat

Wadi Hammamat carries the shortest route from the Nile bend at Qift across the Eastern Desert to the Red Sea at Quseir, and it has been used for that since predynastic times, which is why its rock walls are among the most densely inscribed in Egypt. There are royal expedition texts recording the quarrying of the dark green greywacke used for statuary and sarcophagi, hieroglyphic and hieratic graffiti from Old Kingdom to Roman date, Greek, Nabataean and Arabic inscriptions, and boat drawings that predate the pharaohs. The quarries themselves are still visible in the wadi walls, along with wells and Roman watchtowers spaced along the route. The modern asphalt road runs through the same gap, so several of the main panels are accessible directly from it.

What you actually see

• Royal expedition inscriptions - texts recording quarrying missions.
• Predynastic boat drawings - carvings older than the pharaonic state.
• Greywacke quarry faces - the dark stone used for statuary.
• Roman watchtowers - the road stations along the desert route.

When to go

October to April. Half a day, usually as part of the drive between Luxor and the Red Sea coast, which the road makes easy. Morning or late light rakes the panels and makes them legible.

Honest expectations

Panels are unsigned and easy to drive past; a guide or precise coordinates help enormously. Modern graffiti has damaged some. The road carries fast truck traffic and stopping on it needs care. There are no facilities on the route.

Nearby

El Quseir is at the Red Sea end; Qift and the Nile valley are west.