Mons Porphyrites, the "porphyry mountain" (Gebel Abu Dukhan in Arabic), is the only known quarry of imperial porphyry, a deep purple stone reserved for Roman emperors' sarcophagi, columns and statues. It lies in the Red Sea Mountains, about 40 kilometres north-west of Hurghada according to guides, at the end of a track that branches off the main road about twenty kilometres north of the city. Little is left standing, but you can still make out the quarries, the ramps used to lower the blocks, the workshops and the workers' village, with the remains of a temple. The place suits those who like isolated ruins; it is often visited together with Mons Claudianus, the other great Roman quarry of the Eastern Desert.
Highlights
Imperial porphyry
The rock is a purplish volcanic stone dotted with small pale crystals, formed some 600 million years ago. Its purple colour made it a symbol of imperial power. This photograph shows a sample from the quarry.
The quarries and the camp
On site, the cutting faces, the descent tracks and the dry-stone walls tell the story of a remote extraction camp. The remains are modest: it is the landscape and the isolation that make the visit.
Practical info
Tips
- There is no ticket office, shade or water on the site: bring water, a hat and sturdy shoes. A guide helps pick out the structures, which are hard to read alone. The track is uneven: choose an agency and a 4x4 rather than your own car. We found no official entrance fee; the agency will tell you what is included. Do not take stones home.
How to get there
About 40 km north-west of Hurghada, by the main northern road and then a desert track. The visit is made on an organised excursion or with a 4x4 driver, often combined with Mons Claudianus on the same day. See getting around Hurghada.
Opening hours
Our guides that feature it
Nearby
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