Cities
[edit]Middle Egypt includes a number of important urban centres, some of which make great bases for exploring the attractions of the region. Several cities feature attractions in their own right (from north to south):
- 1 Fayum is one of the most accessible desert oases, an easy drive from the Nile Valley.
- 2 Beni Suef
- 3 Minya
- 4 Mallawi
- 5 Asyut
- 6 Sohag
Other destinations
[edit]Several prime attractions for travellers lie outside the main population centres of the region and can be visited from one or more of them (from north to south):
- 1 Beni Hasan — the location of fascinating tombs of the Middle Kingdom period
- 2 Amarna — site of the short-lived capital of the "heretic pharaoh" Akhenaten, best known for its rock-cut tombs
- 3 Abydos — the site of magnificent Ramesside temples and Predynastic remains - accessed via the small town of al-Balyana
- 4 Dendera — location of one of the best-preserved ancient Egyptian temples
- 5 El-Ashmunein (Hermopolis Magna) — the main cult centre of Thoth, the Pharaonic god of magic, healing, and wisdom and the patron of scribes.