Sohag and Minya

Given the security situation, it is not really advisable to visit either of these at the moment. Minya is home to ket Christian sites on the Holy Family trail and Sohag’s handful of sites are intriguing. The White Monastery, 4.5 km out of town, is a shoddy pile of brick and masonry, but its solitude and isolation give it an aura of piety. Once home to 2,000 monks, today only three or four remain. About 3 km north and probably worth a miss is the crumbling Red Monastery, named for its dark red brickwork. If you don’t see enough livestock here, there’s a lively animal market on the south edge of town every Monday morning. Across the Nile is Akhmim, said to be the oldest continually inhabited city in Egypt. Really just a rubble mound peppered with mud-brick houses, its warren of alleys and crowded markets are a real treat. A fleet of 1963 Russian Volgas, 1952 Chevy Coupes and 1948 de Sotos serve as taxis, cramming the labyrinth as if a vintage auto show took a wrong turn.