A rarity in Egypt, New Hermopolis is a sustainable farm and lodge run as a not-for-profit to provide educational opportunities for the local community. Accommodation is in bee-hive-domed rooms, water is drawn from the farm's well, and power is mostly from solar panels. The centre has meeting rooms and currently only accepts groups of 12 to 24 people. It has some senior foreign Egyptologists as its patrons.
The project is the brain-child of Dr Mervat Abdel Nasser, a psychiatrist and former lecturer at King's College London, who has specialised in links between culture and mental health. The place offers peace and tranquility and is designed as somewhere for reflection, meditation and inspiration.