Qus

---

title: "Qus" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["cities-in-ancient-egypt", "ancient-greek-archaeological-sites-in-egypt", "roman-sites-in-egypt"] topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qus" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
name	Qus
قوص
native_name
settlement_type	City
imagesize	200
image_caption	Fatimid tomb at the north-east of the 'Amri mosque at Qus
pushpin_map	Egypt
pushpin_label_position	bottom
pushpin_mapsize	300
pushpin_map_caption	Location in Egypt
pushpin_relief	1
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name	Egypt
subdivision_type1	Governorate
subdivision_name1	Qena Governorate
leader_title1
established_title
unit_pref	Imperial
area_footnotes
area_total_km2	215.1
area_land_km2
population_as_of	2021
population_footnotes
population_total	512,827
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
timezone	EST
utc_offset	+2
timezone_DST	+3
coordinates
elevation_footnotes
postal_code_type
::

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|leader_name1 = |established_title =
|established_date = |area_magnitude = |unit_pref =Imperial |area_footnotes = |area_total_km2 = 215.1 |area_land_km2 = |population_as_of = 2021 |population_footnotes = |population_note = |population_total = 512,827 |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 |timezone =EST |utc_offset = +2 |timezone_DST = +3 |utc_offset_DST = |coordinates = |elevation_footnotes =
|elevation_m = |elevation_ft = |postal_code_type =
|postal_code = |area_code = |blank_name = |blank_info = |blank1_name = |blank1_info = |website = |footnotes =

Qus (, older name , from ) is a city in the modern Qena Governorate, Egypt, located on the east bank of the Nile.

History

Naming

Its modern name is one of many borrowings in Egyptian Arabic from Coptic, the last living phase of Ancient Egyptian. In Graeco-Roman times, it was called Apollonopolis Parva or Apollinopolis Mikra (Greek: Ἀπόλλωνος ἡ μικρά; Ἀπόλλων μικρός), or Apollonos minoris.

During the Roman Empire it was renamed Diocletianopolis; and it corresponds, probably, to the Maximianopolis of the later Empire.

Overview

In the late Old Kingdom and First Intermediate Period, important people of Qus were buried at Naqada at the other side of the Nile. Here were found several stelae belonging to local governors of Qus, including those of Hetepi (priest). Gesa was an important city in the early part of Egyptian history. Because at that time it served as the point of departure for expeditions to the Red Sea. The city gradually lost its importance, only to regain it in the 13th century with the opening of an alternate commercial route to the Red Sea. Since then, Qus replaced Qift as the primary commercial center for trading with Africa, India, and Arabia. It thus became the second most important Islamic city in medieval Egypt, after Cairo.

The census of 2017 recorded a population in Qus of 464,288, which was estimated to have increased to 512,827 in 2021.

Main sights

Temple of Haroeris and Heqet

The temple of Haroeris (Horus) and Heqet was built during the Ptolemaic Period. Nowadays, only two ruined pylons of the temple remain. It is located at .

The pylon shows scenes of Ptolemy X Alexander I harpooning hippopotami, presenting offerings to Horus, and offering crowns to both Horus and Heqet. The texts also include the cartouches of Ptolemy IX Soter II(called Lathyros) and his mother Cleopatra III. Near this site a green basalt naos was discovered. It was dedicated to Horus by Ptolemy II Philadelphus. The naos is presumed to have come from the temple as well.The numbering of the Ptolemaic rulers can differ in several sources. The numbering used by Porter and Moss seems to be off by 1 compared to Wikipedia. The internal links are based on the second name used. For instance Ptolemy Alexander I is numbered Ptolemy X on Wikipedia, while he is numbered Ptolemy XI in Porter and Moss.

Economy

• Qus Sugar Factory.

Notes

References

References

2. Černý, Jaroslav. (1976). "Coptic Etymological Dictionary". Cambridge University Press.
3. "أسماء بعض البلاد المصرية بالقبطية - كتاب لغتنا القبطية المصرية".
4. (1928). "Dictionnaire des Noms Géographiques Contenus dans les Textes Hiéroglyphiques Vol. 5".
5. [[Stephanus of Byzantium. Steph. B.]] ''s. v.''
6. [[Hierocles (author of Synecdemus). Hierocl.]] p. 731
7. [[Antonine Itinerary. It. Anton.]] p. 158
8. "Qūṣ (Markaz, Egypt) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location".
9. Wilkinson, Richard H.. (2000). "The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt". Thames & Hudson.
10. Porter, Bertha. (2004). "Topographical Bibliography of Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts, Reliefs and Paintings, V Upper Egypt: Sites". Griffith Institute.
11. (2025-02-24). "موسم الخير.. مصنع سكر قوص يواصل استقبال توريدات المزارعين من محصول القصب.. مزارعون: المصنع يقدم تسهيلات لنا ومدير البيئة والسلامة.. يعمل بالغاز الطبيعى حفاظا على البيئة.. وينتج 750 ألف طن سنويا.. صور".
12. "محافظ قنا يطلق إشارة بدء موسم عصير القصب بمصنع سكر قوص {{!}} المصري اليوم".
13. "جولة لوزير التموين في مصنع سكر قوص بمحافظة قنا{{!}} فيديو".

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