 The name Gourna is first mentioned by Protais and Charles François d'Orléans, two Capuchin missionary brothers travelling in Upper Egypt in 1668.Protais’ writing about their travel was published by Melchisédech Thévenot ("Relations de divers voyages curieux," 1670s-1696 editions) and Johann Michael Vansleb ("The Present State of Egypt," 1678).References to Qurna, Gurna, Kournou, Gourna, El-Ckoor’neh, Gourne, el Abouab, El-Goor’neh or many other variants in pre-1940s literature refers to a spread out urban sprawl of housings stretching from approximately the Ramesseum (Mortuary Temple of Ramesses II) to the Mortuary Temple of Seti I on the east side of the Theban Hills, including the current place names of "Sheikh ‘Adb el-Qurna", "el-Assasif", "el-Khokha", "Dra ’Abu el-Nage’" and "Qurna".