Mons Claudianus: the Roman quarry in the Eastern Desert

Updated on October 18, 2026

Mons Claudianus is a Roman granodiorite quarry, a grey stone flecked with black, worked in Egypt's Eastern Desert from the 1st century AD. The monolithic columns cut here were shipped to Rome: those of the Pantheon's portico come from it. The site lies in the Red Sea Mountains, far from anything, about an hour and a half by road from Hurghada. What remains are the walls of the fortified camp, the workers' cells, a small temple and above all an immense cracked column, left where it fell almost two thousand years ago. It is a visit for those who enjoy history and wide open spaces, and it combines easily with Mons Porphyrites on the same day.

Highlights

The quarries

The cutting faces and abandoned blocks spread across the mountainside. The stonecutters extracted whole column shafts, which explains the size of the pieces left behind.

The small temple

The remains of a temple stand in the heart of the camp. It is a reminder that soldiers, workers and administrators lived here permanently, in a place where water had to come from wells and cisterns.

The village and the great column

The reddish ruins of the houses and workshops surround the enclosure. In the quarry, a giant column that broke during extraction never left the desert.

Practical info

Tips

The site has no ticket office, no shade and no water point: bring plenty of water, a hat, sun protection and good shoes. The final track is in poor condition and the place is remote: visit with an agency or a driver with a suitable vehicle rather than in a rental car. We found no official entrance fee and no up-to-date information on permits; the agency usually handles the formalities. Do not pick up any stone or pottery fragments.

How to get there

From Hurghada, allow about an hour and a half by road, first south and then inland on the Safaga–Qena road. According to Lonely Planet, the turn-off is about forty kilometres along that road, followed by a track of about 25 km to the north-west. Hurghada agencies offer day trips by 4x4, often combined with Mons Porphyrites. See also getting around Hurghada.