Qena Governorate
Qena is a governorate in the south of Upper Egypt and includes Luxor, the Red Sea, Qena, Suhag, and Aswan. Economically, Qena is an agricultural and also industrial governorate. It ranks first in production of hibiscus, sesame, bananas, tomatoes, sugarcane, and hibiscus. The total growing region comes to nearly 291,700 hectares, of which sugarcane makes up almost 60%. Qena region is responsible for 64% of sugar production in all of Egypt. The governorate has three sugar factories, one spinning and weaving factory, and an aluminum production plant which is one of the biggest industrial plants in the Middle East.
Tourist Attractions
Qena is also full of exciting and popular tourist attractions, including Pharaonic monuments such as Denderah Temple. This site is situated on the West Bank of the Nile, 5 km from Qena city. It still has inscriptions and writing that goes all the way back to Queen Cleopatra’s era and also has Greek writings. Along with that, the governorate has Islamic shrines including the mosques of Seedy Abdel Rehem el-Qenae, the Omari mosque in Qoos, and also the Coptic monasteries in Naqada Markaz.
Location
Qena is bordered by Sohag Governorate in the north, Luxor Governorate in the south, the Red Sea Governorate in the east, and New Valley Governorate in the west.
City Emblem
The city emblem depicts the Denderah temple, a cogwheel that refers to the industry, and blue lines that signify the River Nile.
More Information
This provincial capital of Qena City is located about 57 miles from El Balyana and 39 miles north of Luxor. It's most popular because of how close it is to the ruins of Dendara. Qena city owes its prosperity today to the opening of Wadi Qena towards the Red Sea, which has become a major traffic route between Upper Egypt and the Red Sea. Tourists traveling the Red Sea area and Luxor almost always pass through Qena city since it is the only good connection. In addition to its unique historical monuments, the Qena area is known for its pottery, in specific the porous water pottery technique.
Along with its ancient Egyptian heritage as the city of Cainepolis, Qena has a considerable Islamic heritage and a popular mosque. The Maghrebi Abd el-Rahim settled in Qena upon his return from Mecca and founded a Sufi religious center here. Upon his death in 1195, a mosque was built above his tomb and became a pilgrimage place for Sufi Muslims. There is a huge modern mosque in Qena in the main square which attests to his importance. Qena has witnessed major restorations and improvements and recently placed third in a UNESCO city beauty contest.
Climate
Qena has a hot climate with very hot summers and very little precipitation year around. Winters are warm during the day but become quite cool at night.
