The quarries at Hatnub ("Mansion of Gold") are situated in the hills of the Eastern Desert, at least half a day's journey from the Nile in ancient times. They were the principal source for travertine or calcite, usually known as "Egyptian alabaster."
The quarries were worked from as early as the Old Kingdom (before 2500 BC) and intermittently through to the Roman period. Originally the stone was reserved for the king, but graffiti found in the quarries show that in later times wealthy families could also gain access to it.
The Hatnub quarries contain many graffiti and more elaborate inscriptions that document their use over 3 millennia. The quarries consisted of three main stone cutting areas. Its main pit is 55m by 85m in area and 16m in depth. Accommodation for workers sheltered by windbreaks was located nearby. Roads for the transportation of the stone to the Nile completed the complex.
Precious stone from Hatnub could be carved so thinly that light would shine through it. In solid blocks it was used in the construction of altars, sarcophagi and shrines. Stone from Hatnub was superior to any other quarried material found in Egypt.