Tourism expected to increase in Minya

CAIRO – 26 November 2017: Around 1,200 Arab tourists and 10,000 tourists from America, the U.K. and Germany visited Minya this year, according to Al-Minya governorate statement to press.


View of Gabal El-Tayr Monastery, Minya Oct.14,2017- Maher Iskandar

The archeological sites like Tell El-Amarna, Gabal El-Tuna, Bani Hassan, Mountain of Birds and the Monastery of the Virgin Mary are all notable outposts for tourists. Those sites, along with Minya’s great Nile view and vast green areas, give the city powerful tools to attract tourists.


View of the farmland from Gabal El-Tayr Monastery Oct.14,2017 – Maher Iskandar

Mountain of Birds (Gabal El-Tayr)

It gets its name from the thousands of birds that gather on its top. It is situated on the west bank of the Nile, where an ancient church stands and where the holy family rested during their visit to Egypt. There are many guest houses in Gabal El-Tayr that are used by pilgrims during church celebrations.

It encompasses many ancient engravings for the holy family’s visit to Egypt and a rock that has the handprints of baby Jesus on it.

It is a flat land with a strip of palm trees next to the Nile valley, spanning over 120 kilometers from north to south.

It is also the site where many Pharaonic temple treasures, palaces and golden monumental pieces were uncovered. All those places mixed together make Minya Egypt’s most famous and important archeological site.

This location takes its name from a Bedouin tribe that lived there called Amarna.


North Palace of Tell El-Amarna Sept.16,2006 – Wikimedia website/Einsamer Schütze

Bani Hassan

On the western bank of the Nile is the Bani Hassan site, the most famous site in the city. It holds around 39 rocky tombs, including the tombs of Amenemhet, Khnumhotep I and Khnumhotep II. It displays the real life and traditions of the Pharaonic Middle Kingdom.

Gabal El-Tuna

A temple-shaped tomb that takes its guests back to the age of Akhenaton; it belongs to the priest of Toth, the ancient Egyptian god of wisdom and knowledge.

It is expected that tourism in Minya will witness a turning point in the coming months. The General Authority for Tourism Development is working on renovations to put the city on the touristic map.


According to the tourism office manager in Minya governorate, Tharwat al-Azhary, a new road will be constructed to link Gabal El-Tuna, Bani Hassan and Tell El-Amarna together. Most of the development works will be carried out in Gabal El-Tayr, including the establishment and operation of a 'Taf Taf' buses' route to transport tourists from the Eastern Desert Road to the Monastery of the Virgin Mary. Also, close to the highest hill in the region, there will be a giant statue of Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus.

“We aim to raise the number of Catholic tourists up to 35 million during the Vatican’s visit to Egypt,” Azhary said to press.