Coptic heritage · Alexandria
Abu Mena
An early Christian pilgrimage city in the Mariout desert south-west of Alexandria, grown around the tomb of Saint Menas and inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
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The story
The site grew around the tomb of Saint Menas of Alexandria, a martyr whom sources place in the late 3rd or early 4th century. Tradition holds that he was buried at this spot in the desert, where a modest church was raised and then enlarged in stages until Abu Mena became one of the leading Christian pilgrimage centres of Late Antiquity in Egypt. Pilgrims carried home small clay flasks bearing the saint's image, which turn up across the Mediterranean. Excavations begun in the early 20th century have revealed the remains of a great basilica, a baptistery, baths and lodging and service buildings around a square lined with marble columns. Abu Mena was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979, placed on the List in Danger in 2001 because of rising groundwater, and removed from that list in July 2025 after conservation work.
Good to know
- Abu Mena was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979.
- It was among Egypt's leading Christian pilgrimage centres of Late Antiquity, and its small clay flasks linked to Saint Menas have been found across the Mediterranean.
- The German archaeologist Carl Maria Kaufmann uncovered the remains of the site in the early 20th century.
- The site entered the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2001 because of rising groundwater and was removed from it in July 2025.
Visiting tips
Per the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities site, listed hours are daily from 07:00 to 19:00. The site lies in open desert near New Borg El Arab, so a private car with driver is the easiest way to visit. Please check hours, prices and access before visiting.