Fodor's Expert Review Medinet Madi

Little is known of the town that was originally named Dja and is situated 35 km (22 miles) southwest of the city of Fayyoum. It was founded during the reign of Amenemhat III and Amenemhat IV (1855–1799 BC) and remained extant during the New Kingdom (1550–1077 BC) era, after which it was abandoned. Revived during the Ptolemaic Dynasty and renamed Narmouthis, the town grew and was occupied even after the Muslim conquest of Egypt, before being abandoned once and for all.

Because Medinet Madi, the so-called City of the Past, is somewhat is isolated it provides an unmatched intimate experience. You can wander its Middle Kingdom temples, some of them remarkably well preserved, dating from the 12th Dynasty and adorned with hieroglyphic inscriptions.