Quseir Travel Guide

General Information About Quseir

Al Quseir holds the distinction of being one of the Red Sea’s most charming towns. It is situated 85km south of Safaga , and has been used as both a trade port and a base for exploration by many different civilizations. One of Egypt’s earliest places, 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. With over than 4000 years of ancient history, Al Quseir is home to several attractions  that bring life to the history.

Being the place where Queen Hatshepsut set off from an expedition to the mystical African land of Punt, Al Quseir represents the touch of mystery given to the tranquility of the Red Sea. Being the city that witnessed all the phases of the World’s transformation, Al Quseir is the tale teller of many international civilizations that lived on its land. It hosts 200 hieroglyphic tablets adorning the cliffs at Wadi Hamamat , which joins Al Quseir to Qift on the Nile. Many of these tablets are 4,000 years old, and depict international reed boats traveling to the Nile. The Pharaohs weren’t the only guests who were hosted on this land, as Romans too built watch towers along this Wadi, and many of them are still standing today. The Ottoman culture represents another major influence on the look of the city, as the Ottoman Fortress of Sultan Selim  stands here. Napoleon and the British army also had an impact on this land, as they occupied its port, which now has varied architecture from both of these influences. There are British and French 19th century buildings juxtaposed with the Islamic influenced buildings along with the ancient structures from Roman times and beyond.

Al Quseir enjoys a year- round climate that makes it perfect for strolling its delightful historic districts, with its narrow streets, colorful bazaars, as well as cafes and restaurants serving mouth watering seafood dishes.

Complementing the historically themed attractions are contemporary adventures never imagined by ancient explorers. Desert safaris will take you on a journey where you will be discovering the desert’s vats expanses of sand, past rocks, and mountains until you land in a Bedouin village. Upon arrival, you may get a chance to go on a camel ride, in addition to experiencing true Bedouin hospitality and entertainment. If you are willing to take in as much of Egypt as possible, you can easily reach Luxor  and even Cairo , both well known throughout the world as centers of ancient history. Or you can also have a day trip to the serene city of Aswan .

If you are a water sports enthusiast, then you have just found your place to be. Al Quseir coral reefs are extremely diverse with scattered pinnacles, tunnels, chimneys, outcrops, and caves waiting to be discovered. Al Quseir has plenty of diving sites  that showcase one of the world’s most astonishing underwater views.

Al Quseir Attractions

Mount Sinai 
Mount Sinai consists of a group of peaks, often known as the Holy Mountains. However, it is also the biblical name of the peak on which Moses received the 10 Commandments. Mount Moses is considered to be where Prophet Mohammed's horse ascended to heaven, giving it religious significance to Islamic believers. The peak can be reached by climbing the steps leading up to the top, or by following a winding path that runs east from the monastery. The steps pass the Fountain of Moses.

Ras Mohamed National park 
This fabulous national park is situated at the southern extreme of the Sinai Peninsula, near the city of Sharm El Sheikh. It encompasses the two islands, Tiran, and Sanafir. Covering a 480 km² area of mostly water, the park’s shoreline is known for its exceptional coral reefs that are recognized among the world’s best, and the inland area includes a diversity of mountains, valleys, and sand dunes. The park was established in 1983 to protect the coral reefs, and offer both scuba divers and snorkelers the chance to swim amongst spectacular underwater scenery.

St. Catherine Monastery 
Situated approximately 1,570 feet above sea level at the foot of Mountain Moses, the center of a significantly valued pilgrimage, St. Catherine is considered one of the four most sacred monasteries in the Middle East. In 342 A.D., Empress Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, formerly known as the Virgin, built a monastery at the site of the Burning Bush where it is believed that Moses received the 10 commandments. In the 6th century AD, Emperor Justinian I ordered the construction of the church of Transfiguration, in addition to a high enclosure wall with towers armed with Roman Soldiers to protect the monastery from Bedouins. Both the monastery and the church were later called St. Catherine. In the monastery lies a diversity of picturesque sights to visit; the enclosure wall surrounding the monastery was built from granite stones at an approximate height of 15 meters. On the northern side of the monastery rests the Great Church encompassing two aisles and a central nave. The nave ends with an alter near a reliquary of marble that contains the relics of St. Catherine. The monastery incorporates one of the most significant religious libraries in the world containing a massive number of rare historical manuscripts and decrees of various Caliphs and rulers. It also includes the Well of Moses north of the Great Church, in addition to the Burning Bush Well and St. Stephen’s Well to its south.

Chapel of the Burning Bush 
This stunning historical chapel is located on top of St. Catherine's Monastery. Construction of the building was ordered during the 6th century AD by Empress Helen, the mother of Constantine. The chapel houses St. Catherine's relics and is believed to be the spiritual heart of the monastery.

Seven Elders of Israel Amphitheatre 
This archaeological marvel can be found on Mount Sinai, halfway between the foot of the mountain and its peak. The Seven Elders of Israel Amphitheatre is a truly stunning religious monument and is well worth looking out for. 

El-Arish / Sinai Heritage Museum 
El-Arish is located on the Mediterranean coast of the Sinai Peninsula and is regarded as being the most vital center for Bedouin handicrafts in Sinai. The on-site Sinai Heritage Museum is the only museum in the peninsula dedicated to Bedouins and their culture, being full of old handicrafts, artifacts, clothing and many other fascinating exhibits.

Wadi Hammamat

This site is home to 200 hieroglyphic tablets that adorn the cliffs, in addition to hundreds of magnificent rock inscriptions, some of which date back to 4000 BC. It is renowned for the production of the Bekheni stone, a stunning green ornamental rock, which is considered sacred. The stone was actively quarried from Pharaonic until Roman times to make bowls, statues and sarcophagi, many of which have been found in the Pyramids, graves and temples of those periods.

The Fortress of Sultan Selim

This impressive fortress was built by Sultan Selim who ruled Egypt during the 16th century. The fortress was a military hold to protect the port from invaders and to keep pilgrims in 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 stunning architectural Islamic influence.

Desert Adventures

Away from the sea, day trips can take adventurous visitors out into the desert, where one can travel in a 4x4 or have a thrilling experience through riding a quad bike while taking in spectacular formations of sand, rocks, oases and mountains. Learn about Bedouin life, culture and history as you explore a Bedouin village, and end your day with an oriental dinner and a belly dance show. It is also possible to explore unexpected historical treasures from the time of the Roman Empire, or even take a trip to the south and Luxor , with its incredible ancient temples and other historic sites.

Quseir Tours

Quseir Attractions

Mount Sinai

Mount Sinai consists of a group of peaks, often known as the Holy Mountains. However, it is also the biblical name of the peak on which Moses received the 10 Commandments. Mount Moses is considered to be where Prophet Mohammed's horse ascended to heaven, giving it religious significance to Islamic believers. The peak can be reached by climbing the steps leading up to the top, or by following a winding path that runs east from the monastery. The steps pass the Fountain of Moses.

Quseir Holidays

Scuba Diving in Quseir, the Red Sea

Big Brother

This interesting site gives you the chance to encounter many magnificent underwater creatures. It is a 400 m long island with a lighthouse, with two wrecks lying on its walls. It offers wreck diving on two sunken boats on the northern tip and excellent wall diving along the southern side of the reef with strong currents promoting the growth of a spectacular forest of soft corals. Encountering a big pelagic and an astonishing variety of marine life is very possible.

Erg El Asal

If goldfish is your favorite underwater creature, then you have just found the place that will introduce you to many of them. Erg Al Asal consists of big blocks of mountain coral that are surrounding a small flat topped reef that can be circumnavigated in one dive. Clouds of goldfish engulf the reef and swim through the sandy patches surrounding it. White tip sharks may be found sleeping as well as turtles and barracudas.

Habili Sheik Malek

Less than one mile away from the Tumb-Mosque on the coast, a little reef formation creates a labyrinth of hard corals, fire and huge tables where lots of fish often concentrate. While diving this site you will meet Napoleon fish, barracudas and eagle ray.

Little Brother

It is the smaller island next door and has a fabulous fan coral forest and plenty of caves, overhangs, black coral, and a great deal of pelagic including sharks, tuna, barracuda, turtles and schools of reef fish.

Marsa Wizri

A bay on the coast that will enchant you with its splendid marine life. It will introduce you to fringing houses, large schools of yellow goatfish, unicorns, barracudas and other reef fish species on both northern and southern outer extremes.

Ras Shouna Bay

This bay is located on the coast offering good dives on the north and south sides. Here you will dazzle your eyes with schools of batfish, barracudas and goatfish around the coral heads, and glass fish which come out from the slope.

Ras Torombi

Here you can enjoy having a shallow dive around the northern most tip of the cape's fringing reef where you can encounter a great deal of fire coral and giant table coral heads scattered over a sandy bottom. You may also see snappers, butterflies, rays and guitar sharks.

Sharm El Bahari

Its is considered a fine dive location on the northern corner of the fringing reef with a hard coral garden sloping gently to the deep. It is also the home of large schools of unicorns, snappers, surgeons, fusiliers and barracudas.

Sharm El Quibli

This site is a bay located on the coast. It provides divers with some decent diving on its northern corner, with a sloping reef covered in acroporas, fire coral and other hard corals.

Shopping and Leisure in Quseir

For those who love to shop, Sharm El-Sheikh provides ample opportunities to indulge in retail therapy. Sharm El Sheikh is famous for producing jewellery, leather goods and rugs. Expect to haggle when shopping in Sharm El Sheikh! It is all part of the experience and the shop owners will be shocked if you don’t try to negotiate! The majority of shops and shopping centres are based in Naama Bay but Sharm Old Market is great for hunting out bargains. If you want real value for money you should go south-west to Dahab which is less busy and less commercialised than Sharm.

There is more to Sharm El-Sheikh than beaches, sea and shopping of course. It’s a well developed area that feels “European” with refined hotels, facilities and amenities. Sharm el Sheikh has a fantastic range of restaurants, bars and cafes to visit as well as the hotels own all inclusive menus. The market area in Old Sharm is popular for its abundance of seafood restaurants and cheap prices. For those wanting a romantic evening, head to the” On Deck” restaurant in the Iberotel Lido hotel in Naama Bay where you can dine on a pontoon overlooking the water. The Il Mercato promenade, often called “Les Champs Elysee” of Sinai close to the Iberotel IL Mercato Hotel offers a varied selection of excellent cafes and restaurants.

There’s even an 18-hole Championship golf course in Jolie Ville Golf Resort, located only five kilometres from the main hotels in Sharm el Sheikh which is open to non guests. It includes a driving range and artificial lakes and is a perfect escape for those who love the game.

Quseir Nightlife

Pacha

Pacha is situated in the of Naama bay , and is the premier party place in Sharm El Sheikh that embodies the essence of the Pacha spirit with a twist of mystical Arabia added for pure indulgence.

Little Buddha

Little Buddha is located in the heart of Naama Bay , and being one of the hottest venues in Sharm El Sheikh, it provides its clientele with the finest dining experience, an eclectic atmosphere, sublime surroundings, and the latest sounds from around the globe.

Hard Rock Cafe

When in Egypt, knock the Sinai sand from your sandals and settle into the Hard Rock Cafe Sharm El Sheikh for a tall cool drink to quench your parched throat. The restaurant's huge guitar and sky dome act as an oasis beckoning every desert denizen to a good time. It provides a fascinating atmosphere and mouthwatering dishes.

Camel Bar

It is a two-storey restaurant/bar that offers both indoor and outdoor areas. The lower floor is an ideal venue for those willing to indulge in a drink along with lively music, while the top floor overlooks Naama Bay and offers a more relaxing atmosphere with number of sumptuous international dishes and shisha.