Qena Travel Guide

About The City Of Qena

Ninety-one kilometers east of Al-Balyana, and 62km north of Luxor, Qena sits on a huge bend of the river and at the intersection of the main Nile road and the road running across the desert to the Red Sea towns of Port Safaga and Hurghada.

A market town and provincial capital, it was off limits for a long time. Security restrictions have been lifted, making it a useful junction for a visit to the spectacular temple complex at Dendera, located just outside the town. It’s also the place to be on the 14th of the Islamic month of Sha’ban, when the city’s 12th-century patron saint, Abdel Rehim alQenawi, is celebrated.

The city of Qena has 450,000 inhabitants (2018 estimates), capital of the Qena governorate with 3.9 million inhabitants (2018 estimate) and an area of 1,800 km², situated on the east bank of the Nile. Although not much of a tourist attraction in itself, Qena is one of the finest cities in Egypt, with the nation’s cleanest streets and leafy promenades and came third in the UNESCO city Beauty contest. 

Qena produces a very popular form of water containers, made from porous clay that keeps water 5-6ºC cooler than the outside temperature. Qena also has one of the highest concentration of Coptic Christians in Egypt (approximately 35% of the total population).