Qena
title: "Qena" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["governorate-capitals-in-egypt", "populated-places-in-qena-governorate", "cities-in-egypt", "medieval-cities-of-egypt"] topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qena" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | |
| native_name | قنا |
| settlement_type | City |
| image_skyline | {{Multiple image |
| perrow | 1/2/2 |
| total_width | 300 |
| caption_align | center |
| image1 | كلية الزراعة (جامعة جنوب الوادى).jpg |
| caption1 | Qena University |
| image2 | Qena Corniche.jpg |
| caption2 | The Nile |
| image3 | قنا 2013.jpg |
| caption3 | Downtown |
| image4 | Qena, Qism Qena, Qena, Qena Governorate, Egypt - panoramio (10).jpg |
| caption4 | Qena Mosque |
| image5 | Qina 05.JPG |
| caption5 | Nile Palace |
| border | infobox |
| motto | |
| pushpin_map | Egypt |
| pushpin_label_position | left |
| pushpin_relief | yes |
| pushpin_map_caption | Location within Egypt |
| coordinates | |
| subdivision_type | Country |
| subdivision_name | Egypt |
| subdivision_type1 | Governorate |
| subdivision_name1 | Qena |
| established_title | |
| established_date | |
| leader_title1 | |
| area_footnotes | |
| area_total_km2 | 31.60 |
| area_land_km2 | |
| elevation_footnotes | |
| elevation_m | 80 |
| elevation_ft | |
| population_total | 252,883 |
| population_as_of | 2021 |
| population_footnotes | |
| population_density_km2 | auto |
| population_density_sq_mi | auto |
| population_density_metro_km2 | auto |
| population_density_metro_sq_mi | auto |
| population_blank1_title | Ethnicities |
| population_density_blank1_km2 | auto |
| population_density_blank1_sq_mi | auto |
| postal_code_type | |
| area_code | (+20) 96 |
| footnotes | |
| timezone | EET |
| utc_offset | +2 |
| timezone_DST | EEST |
| utc_offset_DST | +3 |
| :: |
| name = Qena | native_name = قنا | settlement_type = City | image_skyline = {{Multiple image | perrow = 1/2/2 | total_width = 300 | caption_align = center | image1 = كلية الزراعة (جامعة جنوب الوادى).jpg | caption1 = Qena University | image2 = Qena Corniche.jpg | caption2 = The Nile | image3 = قنا 2013.jpg | caption3 = Downtown | image4 = Qena, Qism Qena, Qena, Qena Governorate, Egypt - panoramio (10).jpg | caption4 = Qena Mosque | image5 = Qina 05.JPG | caption5 = Nile Palace | border = infobox | image_caption = | image_flag = | flag_size = | image_seal = | seal_size = | image_shield = | shield_size = | nickname = | motto = | image_map = | mapsize = | map_caption = | pushpin_map = Egypt | pushpin_label_position = left | pushpin_relief = yes | pushpin_mapsize = | pushpin_map_caption = Location within Egypt | coordinates = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Egypt | subdivision_type1 = Governorate | subdivision_type2 = | subdivision_type3 = | subdivision_name1 = Qena | subdivision_name2 = | subdivision_name3 = | established_title = | established_date = | government_footnotes = | government_type = | leader_title = | leader_name = | leader_title1 = | leader_name1 = | area_footnotes = | area_magnitude = | area_total_km2 = 31.60 | area_land_km2 = | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = 80 | elevation_ft = | population_total = 252,883 | population_as_of = 2021 | population_footnotes = | population_density_km2 = auto | population_density_sq_mi = auto | population_metro = | population_density_metro_km2 = auto | population_density_metro_sq_mi = auto | population_blank1_title = Ethnicities | population_blank1 = | population_density_blank1_km2 = auto | population_density_blank1_sq_mi = auto | population_note = | postal_code_type = | postal_code = | area_code = (+20) 96 | website = | footnotes = | | timezone = EET | utc_offset = +2 | timezone_DST = EEST | utc_offset_DST = +3 | blank_name = | blank_info = | blank1_name = | blank1_info =
Qena ( ar , locally: ) is a city in Upper Egypt, and the capital of the Qena Governorate. Situated on the east bank of the Nile, it was known in antiquity as Kaine (Greek Καινή, meaning "new (city)"; Latinized transliteration: Caene) and Maximianopolis. Gauthier identifies Qena with ancient Shabt.
Overview
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Qena_mosque.jpg" caption="Qena Mosque"] ::
This provincial capital is located about 95 km from El Balyana and 63 km north of Luxor. It is most famous for its proximity to the ruins of Dendara. It owes its modern prosperity to the opening of the Wadi Qena towards the Red Sea, which is a major traffic route between Upper Egypt and the Red Sea. Tourists traveling between Luxor and the Red Sea will assuredly pass through this city since there is only one good road connection. Qena is noted for its pottery. Qena is also known for its beautiful huge mountains and green nature.
South Valley University has a campus in Qena.
Qena is a large market town on the River Nile situated next to the famous Greco-Roman temples of Dendera. Also on the Nile, Luxor is a long-time tourist hotspot that in large part attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors because of its temples, tombs and location on the site of the ancient capital of Thebes. Ancient Thebes is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Qena has one of the highest concentration of Coptic Christians in Egypt (approximately 35% of the total population).
History
Main article: Caenepolis (Egypt){{!}}Caenepolis
In addition to its Ancient Egyptian heritage as the city of Caenepolis, Qena has a considerable Islamic heritage and many unique architectural mosques. Qena has witnessed major restorations, and came third in the UNESCO City Beauty contest.
Climate
Qena has a hot desert climate (BWh) according to Köppen climate classification, with very hot summers and very little precipitation year round. Winters are warm at days, but become cool at nights. The hottest months on average are equally July and August, while the coolest month is January. Luxor, Minya, Qena and Asyut have the widest difference of temperatures between days and nights of any city in Egypt, with almost 16 C-change difference.
The hottest temperature recorded was on May 15, 1991 which was 50 °C and the coldest temperature was on January 6, 1989 which was -1 °C.
|metric first=y |single line=y |location = Qena |Jan high C = 22.7 |Feb high C = 25.3 |Mar high C = 30.5 |Apr high C = 35.3 |May high C = 38.8 |Jun high C = 41.0 |Jul high C = 41.0 |Aug high C = 40.7 |Sep high C = 38.1 |Oct high C = 35.1 |Nov high C = 30.1 |Dec high C = 24.4 | year high C = |Jan mean C = 13.2 |Feb mean C = 15.0 |Mar mean C = 19.4 |Apr mean C = 24.6 |May mean C = 29.8 |Jun mean C = 31.7 |Jul mean C = 32.0 |Aug mean C = 32.1 |Sep mean C = 29.1 |Oct mean C = 26.0 |Nov mean C = 20.3 |Dec mean C = 15.0 | year mean C = |Jan low C = 6.9 |Feb low C = 7.8 |Mar low C = 11.4 |Apr low C = 16.1 |May low C = 20.8 |Jun low C = 23.2 |Jul low C = 24.1 |Aug low C = 24.2 |Sep low C = 22.0 |Oct low C = 18.8 |Nov low C = 13.6 |Dec low C = 8.9 | year low C = |rain colour = green |Jan rain mm = 1 |Feb rain mm = 0 |Mar rain mm = 0 |Apr rain mm = 0 |May rain mm = 0 |Jun rain mm = 0 |Jul rain mm = 0 |Aug rain mm = 0 |Sep rain mm = 0 |Oct rain mm = 0 |Nov rain mm = 1 |Dec rain mm = 1 |year rain mm = | Jan humidity = 63 | Feb humidity = 56 | Mar humidity = 44 | Apr humidity = 31 | May humidity = 27 | Jun humidity = 28 | Jul humidity = 31 | Aug humidity = 32 | Sep humidity = 44 | Oct humidity = 53 | Nov humidity = 59 | Dec humidity = 63 | year humidity = |source 1 = Arab Meteorology Book{{cite web | url = http://extras.springer.com/2007/978-1-4020-4577-6/Book_Shahin_ISBN_9781402045776_Appendix.pdf | title = Appendix I: Meteorological Data | publisher = Springer | access-date = 14 October 2024 | archive-date = March 4, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304072830/http://extras.springer.com/2007/978-1-4020-4577-6/Book_Shahin_ISBN_9781402045776_Appendix.pdf | url-status = dead |date=14 October 2024
Transportation
Qena has a network of streets, roads and highways with greenery and flowered pavements. From the city there is a road that crosses the Eastern Desert to port Safaga on the Red Sea.
The United States Air Force conducted classified operations from Wadi Qena airfield from the 1970s to the 1990s, under the code names Coronet Scabbard (Facebook group under same name), Coronet Aspen, Coronet Drake, and Coronet Mallard. The 4401st Combat Support Squadron (Provisional) maintained a near-constant CENTAF presence there. Part of these operations probably included Lockheed MC-130 flights during the Desert One rescue attempts for the U.S. hostages in Tehran in the late 1970s.
References
References
- "Qinā (Kism (fully urban), Egypt) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location".
- (1926). "Dictionnaire des Noms Géographiques Contenus dans les Textes Hiéroglyphiques Volume 3".
- [https://www.trismegistos.org/place/952 Trismegistos, "Kaine (Qena)"]
- 978-1-44432006-0
- [[#Dictionnaire des Noms Géographiques Contenus dans les Textes Hiéroglyphiques Volume 3. Gauthier (1926)]] p. 147
- "TISC Directory: Egypt - Qena (TICO- South Valley University)".
- "Explore Qena".
- "UNESCO-Qena [Egyptian National UNESCO Commission]".
- "Qena, Egypt". Voodoo Skies.
- [[William Arkin]], Code Names, 325.
- Thigpen, Col. Jerry L. (2001). The Praetorian STARShip: The Untold Story of the Combat Talon, Air University Press/Diane Publishing. {{ISBN. 1-58566-103-1, p. 196, 213-215.
::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::