- Porphyry is a rare purple granite which was used during the Roman Empire to form panels in the Imperial Palaces.
- It came from the Porphyry Mountain in Egypt.
Porphyry Mountain
- The Porphyry Mountain was the Quarry of Mons Porphyritis, located in the Red Sea Mountains of Egypt, where the purple Marble was produced.
- The quarry is located to the west of Hurghada and was the only source of purple marble in the Roman Empire.
Porphyry in Roman Architecture
- Pantheon in Rome.
- All the red Porphyry Marble Panels in the Pantheon, the red porphyry togas on busts of Roman Emperors, the red porphyry columns, altars, fountains and vases, are from this one quarry.
- The ‘Porphyra’ in the Great Palace of Constantinople, Greece.
- Built by Constantine I in 330 CE, the Porphyra (Purple Room) was lined with red Porphyry marble from the same Quarry. It was the official delivery room for the pregnant Empresses.
Via Porphyritis
- The Marble had to travel for 70 miles to reach the Nile along a road known as the Via Porphyritis.
- The journey took 5 days.
- The Quarry was worked until 335 CE.
.