The capital of Suhaj, city of Sohag is at the same time a major Coptic Christian centre for Upper Egypt. There is little to see here other than the White and Red Monasteries just outside town. Of somewhat more interest is the town of Akhmin just across the river, which was known as as Ipu or Khent-Menu to the early Egyptians and Panopolis to the Greeks. Plutarch states that, "The pans and Satyris who live near Akhmim were the first to learn of the death of Osiris and spread the news. This was how the sudden fear that grips a multitude became known as panic".A recently discoverd statue of Meret Amun, the tallest statue of an ancient queen, now stands in the middle of town. Worth a short visit is a town of Girga, which for centuries was famed for the beauty of the landscape. There is a beautiful paved suq, and also the El-Sini (Porcelain Mosque), which at one time was almost washed away by the Nile. There are several ancient sites nearby including the Beit Qallaf, a necropolis where one may find 3rd Dynasty mudbrick tombs.