Deir Umm Duheis

دير أبو شعر / Abū Schaʿr

In the southeastern corner of the resort are the ruins of a Roman fort, once housing about 200 soldiers of the Ala Nova Maximiana camel cavalry unit. There were bastions at all four corners of the wall, and entrances on the northern and western sides. The latter entrance has an inscription revealing it was established in 309-311 during the rule of Aurelius Maximianus Inside the walls there were barracks, warehouses, stables, and the commander's house. During the 7th century the fort was used as a church for Coptic Christians, and later it was possibly a destination for pilgrimage.

• history