Quarries of Mons Claudianus is a unique historical landmark of Egypt. They are located 44 km from city Safari, not far from the ancient Egyptian ruins – the temple of the God Serapis, a famous fortress and Roman city.
Mons Claudianus is the largest and best preserved Roman settlement in the Eastern desert. There were about a thousand soldiers and masons.
Under the circumstances it is ancient architects and builders who worked on the construction of a monumental architectural structures, drew attention to the quarries of Mons Claudianus. In these quarries were mined natural white marble and black granite, from which was built the famous Pantheon in Rome. Obtaining high-quality granite and quartz diorite was the main occupation of this settlement. Massive granite blocks weighing 60 tons were transported on a special wooden carts to the Nile. Next, the blocks were loaded on barges, and then to the ships. It should be noted that all the people who lived in the settlement at Mons Claudianus, were free people of Egypt, not slaves, as confirmed by recently found documentary evidence.
The beauty of the ancient Roman Pantheon not cease to admire to this day. No wonder the ancient builders had spent so much time searching for the best material for the construction of various architectural structures. The material, as can be seen today, was quite strong, durable, and also very beautiful. Due to this, tourists can witness the amazing columns from rocks and surviving wall of building blocks from the "granodiorite" (grey granite).
Today the quarries of Mons Claudianus is one of the main attractions of the Egyptian city of Safaga, which is certainly worth a visit.
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