al-Quseir

Until the completion of the Suez Canal, Quseir was a crucial port, principally because of the hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) and Middle East trade. With the canal in place, the port of Quseir was no longer needed as a stop for ships, laden with goods, passing from the Nile Valley across the Red Sea and beyond, and so it fell into decline. A development boom along the entire Red Sea Coast has started to transform Quseir into a resort town. Modern construction aims to be environmentally conscious, not only of marine life but also of land that is thought to be rich in artifacts, from bits of Roman-era glass to Mamluk archways.