"Sannur Valley"... The oldest quarrying cave in the world
About 200 km from the Egyptian capital Cairo, specifically in Beni Suef Governorate, one of the oldest caves in the world is located. Wadi Sannur Cave Reserve is one of the most important tourist attractions in Egypt, especially for its proximity to Cairo, and it has a long history. It is the result of a number of chemical reactions of groundwater underground and its mixing with limestone, since the Eocene era, 40 million years ago. This led to the production of alabaster marble, one of the finest types of marble in the world, and the ancient Egyptian excelled in its use in the manufacture of ornamental utensils.
Wadi Sannur Cave is a part of the Eastern Desert. It is located within the Al-Ma’adh Plateau to the north of Wadi Sannur east of Beni Suef, that is, 70 km from the city of Beni Suef. By car for more than an hour, then the journey begins on foot for a distance of not less than another half hour.
Discovery
"Sannur Cave" is one of the most important quarry stores that the Egyptian sculptor relied on to make his history, from stone statues, from which he extracted alabaster ore to carve statues, and to make pots, vases, scarabs, and other tools that were found in the tombs of kings and commoners, and it remained a major quarry for ore. Marble until 1991, and at the beginning of 1992, while the quarry workers were busy at work, an explosion occurred that revealed an opening that led to the discovery of the cave.
As soon as the scientific and geological studies and research concluded, which concluded the importance of the cave as one of the oldest caves in the world, and the main permanent one for the ancient Egyptians in the making of their stone civilization, the Prime Minister issued Resolution No. 1204 of 1992, which stipulated the registration of Wadi Snoor Cave as a nature reserve, in The framework of Law No. 102 of 1983 regarding natural reserves, the third article of which stipulates the prohibition of any actions, behaviors, activities or procedures that would damage and deteriorate the natural and wild environment surrounding it.
The cave dates back to the middle Eocene era, about 47 million years ago. The water began to dissolve the limestone, forming small dissolving pits, before they connected to each other, which led to the formation of a small cavity. This led to its upbringing and the gradual water level in it. With climate change and a tendency to drought, the stored water began to seep through the cracks, which led to the formation of some solutions, acids and sediments that stand witness to the existence of wet periods that passed through the land of Wadi Sanur and the Eastern Desert.
Large quantities of decorated materials were found in Wadi Sannur Cave, consisting of stalagmites, stalactites, curtains, and beautiful columns. The cave consists of two large bays to the right and north of the opening leading to its interior, in the right part of which are limestone formations, taking different shapes of pears, islands, and coral reefs.
The importance of the sannur Cave
The quality and rareness of the natural formations found in the cave make this place a rarest one on earth. The place seems to be an ideal arena for researchers to conduct detailed and comparative studies which can help in getting a deeper understanding of the environmental conditions that were present during the ancient era.
Visit Sannur Cave on your trip to Beni Suef or Egypt
Finally, we hope you enjoyed our insightful work, and if you would like to book an Egypt tour, please continue reading and choose from our variety...
Check the programs offered by our company from Egypt day tours. Our team is specialized in organizing the best trips during a summer or winter vacation, have a look at Egypt Tours Packages to find the kind of program that you like to enjoy, you can also check the special Shore excursions in Egypt on which you can spend a Cairo day trip from Alexandria port or any other major ports in Egypt. You will find the special Cairo transit tours and the best-organized tours from Cairo airport. Enjoy a refreshing cruise over the Nile River during Christmas tours in Egypt or during the amazing Easter tours in Egypt. You will be sailing over the ancient river on Egypt Nile River Cruise tours 2021, and the thrilling activities that each and every visitor should try on the Egypt Desert Safari tour 2021. We organize short trips such as Cairo Half day tours, which the trip can cover at least five important sights, and Cairo Private tours, which are so unique. We also organize some trips for anyone with reduced mobility, visit Egypt Wheelchair Accessible Tours during the holiday, to find the best program. Do not wait longer to experience the lovely adventures, and have a look at our Egypt Luxury custom tours and holidays, to make your vacation too different to forget. Contact our team, so we can start helping you plan your best tours to Egypt such as Luxor day tours, Aswan day tours, tours from Cairo, Egypt Classic Tours and Vacations, and some decent Budget tours to Egypt. We will help you plan your Classic packages to Egypt that cover most of the archeological spots, Book now for a great experience of Egypt Vacations and Egypt holiday packages to visit the amazing Giza pyramids, the Sphinx, The Egyptian Museum, Valley of Kings, and all the wonders of Ancient Egypt. - Egypt is a central country, where you can enjoy numerous historical sites; book 8 Days Cairo and the Nile Cruise by Air, to start a different vacation with us. Check our Travel Packages in Egypt. You can also book the 5 Days Cairo and Alexandria tour package if you've got a week off, you can place your reservation on Egypt Package Tour from Cairo. Our guides will make you live the best vacation for 7 Days Cairo and Sharm El Sheikh Tour, we also offer a variety of Egypt Vacation Packages that will be very suitable for a family. And if you would love to experience a long vacation for 13 Days Cairo, Nile Cruise, and The Oasis Tour this is one of the best programs you can choose. Experience the best of Egypt holidays all-inclusive. Learn more about the breathtaking nature of Egypt and the vast landscape it has got, on Cairo and White Desert Adventure Tour, which many choose as a beautiful to meditate. We help you plan a special Nile Cruise from Luxor to Aswan which is one of the trips that makes everyone's vacation special. You can also book the 3 Days Cairo Stopover, to enjoy a big number of the sights all over Cairo, Alexandria, Aswan, and Luxor, check out our special Cairo Short Break, Egypt Short Vacation, we also offer 4 Days Cairo Short Break Tour, so we have got all the possible trip durations, as our target is to satisfy our interested clients, whether they stay for short or long periods. Book now your Egypt Short Vacation enjoying Cairo, Nile Cruise, and the Red Sea Tour, where you will find the entertaining atmosphere. Experience the packages that we organize for those who are so keen on visiting Egypt, check out the special Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor, and Aswan holiday packages, and spend the best 7 Days Cairo and The Nile Cruise Vacation. Cairo Top Tours also organizes a trip for 5 Days Cairo and Luxor Vacation on which you can explore a lot of the monumental places that the country is famous for. Check our 6 Days holiday Package in Egypt, and place your reservation during this wonderful time of the year, have a look at our 12 Days Cairo, Alexandria, to witness the beauty of this Mediterranean city, which is full of Greek and Roman monuments and sights, also check The Nile Cruise and Hurghada Travel as we offer our customers the best service and accommodation to fully enjoy their vacation. Egypt is the right place to spend an amazing vacation for 10 Days on Egypt private tour package, visit Egypt Budget Tours to choose what could be best and suitable for your budget and time, spend now a remarkable 10 Days Package to Egypt to have a bigger chance to discover the various sights that Egypt possess, Book now the unique Egypt 10 Days Itinerary. And also check another program for the 11 Days Egypt Tour. Try the unique Egypt Luxury Tours, as we offer our tourists the best accommodation in some of Egypt's best hotels, check our Luxury Egypt Tour Packages, and enjoy the Best of Egypt Tours organized by our team. Book a trip for 8 Days Egypt and the Nile Cruise Luxury Tour or another trip that's a bit longer Egypt Luxury Tour 12 Days to Cairo Nile Cruise and The Red Sea. You can also spend 12 Days Cairo, Nile Cruise, and Lake Nasser Cruise Luxury Tour, to witness the exceptional beauty of Luxor and its great history. As well as a special trip for 10 Days and a Nile Cruise Luxury Tour. Experience Egypt Luxury Vacations you can also get to live the very special 8 Days Cairo and Dahabeya Luxury Travel to live the Nile river vibes. You also could place your reservation on Egypt Luxury Private Tours. Cairo Top Tours makes a trip for 12 Days Cairo, Alexandria, The Nile Cruise, and Hurghada Luxury Travel. Cairo Top Tours offers all kinds of transportation, so you can move from one city to another by train or by air. Visit Egypt for 9 days Cairo and Xmas Nile Cruise by Train and enjoy the refreshing air of the river during the beautiful timing of the year, place your reservation now to explore the country's great history as well as spending the best Egypt Christmas Holidays 2020. We also help you plan a shorter trip for 8 Days Cairo and Christmas Nile Cruise by Flight, kindly browse Egypt Christmas Holidays, to find the program that suits you the most! Our team has also created a decent 4 Days Cairo Short Break during Christmas, for those who cannot spend long periods and still want to enjoy a special trip in Egypt, you can enjoy a comprehensive trip on Cairo, the Nile and Hurghada Christmas Travel, this trip helps our clients spend an extraordinary vacation in a short time, as well as the 10 Days Egypt Christmas Package Tour, that is a unique bundle of adventures and activities as well as the great number of sightseeing and archeological visits, book now on the 10 Days Egypt Christmas tour package, and do not wait longer to see Egypt from a different angle.