Qina, also Qena, city in eastern Egypt, the capital of the Qina Governorate, 654 km (406 mi) south of the Egyptian capital of Cairo. Known in ancient times as Caenepolis (or Caene), Qina is a bustling city set in an irrigated farming area on the east bank of the Nile River, 1.5 km (1 mi) from the riverbank. Downstream from the city, limestone cliffs force the Nile to alter its northward flow and the river runs southwest for some 60 km (40 mi) before turning north again. Visited by a modest number of tourists annually, Qina has several hotels and restaurants, as well as the offices, banks, and markets typical of an Egyptian provincial capital. Qina is served by the main railway line linking Egypt from north to south. It is also the terminus of a road that crosses the Arabian Desert from Bur Safajah, on the Red Sea. The city is also the seat of a Coptic Christian bishop. Since ancient times Qina has been known for its pottery, particularly the porous clay cooling vessels known as kulal jars. Cooling by evaporation, these traditional pots continue to be the principal means of cooling water in most Egyptian households today. At Dandarah (Denderah) across the Nile from Qina is the Temple of Hathor, the ancient Egyptian goddess of the sky. Originally built as early as 2300 BC, the temple was rebuilt under the Ptolemies and Romans between 125 BC and AD 60, and has been restored by archaeologists. Population (1986) 119,794.
