The Roman Fort And The Remains Of A Byzantine City

Near El Sarag can be seen from the dahabiya. We may be able to visit depending on whether excavations are underway.
About 20 km (12.5 miles) south of Edfu is an excellent example of a Roman fort by the Nile that protected the road to the Eastern Desert. Its location at Contra Appolonos (El-Ridisiyah) made it strategically ideal to place soldiers here during the Byzantine period (4th to 8th century AD). Excavations of the area from 1997 to 2005 revealed more details about homes, Coptic churches, monasteries, and Islamic coins. It was in use until the 8th century AD.

Trade routes operating across the Eastern Desert from the time of Ptolemaic rule to the 8th century included routes from Edfu to Marsa Alam and from Sarag to Berenice. From the Byzantine period, these routes were popular with Christians and subsequently used by Muslims travelling from the south of Egypt and Sudan on pilgrimage.
There are more than 100 Roman forts in Egypt. Their construction and occupation dates range from the late 1st century BC to the 6th or 7th century AD. These forts and the presence of the Roman army were intended to maintain internal security. Forts guarded key roads leading to ports, mines or quarries or protected the more important quarries and mines themselves, such as Mons Porphyrites, Mons Claudianus, Semna, Barrimiya, Samut, and Nakheil. Forts in the Western Desert guarded trade/invasion routes coming from Sudan to the south, especially along the Darb el-Arba’ein, the key oases (Fayum, Baharia, Farafra, Dakhla, Kharga) and routes leading thence to the Nile.