Asyut Governorate

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Asyut Governorate
Governorate
Flag of Asyut Governorate
Flag
Asyut Governorate on the map of Egypt
Asyut Governorate on the map of Egypt
Coordinates: 27°15′07″N 31°05′24″E / 27.252°N 31.09°E / 27.252; 31.09Coordinates: 27°15′07″N 31°05′24″E / 27.252°N 31.09°E / 27.252; 31.09
Country  Egypt
Seat Asyut (capital)
Government
 • Governor Jamal Nour El Din Mohamed Zaki[1]
Population (2014)
 • Total 4,123,441
Time zone UTC+2 (EET)

Asyut Governorate (Egyptian Arabic: محافظة أسيوط‎ Muḥāfẓet Asyut) is one of the governorates of Egypt. It stretches across the Nile. The capital of the governorate is the city of Asyut.[2]

Etymology[edit]

The name of Asyut is derived from early Egyptian Zawty (Z3JW.TJ), late Egyptian Səyáwt into Coptic Syowt.[citation needed] the meaning of the name is the garder and when the Islamic ages came to Egypt they added A to the word Syowt to be at the end Asyut.

Population[edit]

According to population estimates from 2015 the majority of residents in the governorate live in rural areas, with an urbanization rate of only 26.5%. Out of an estimated 4,245,215 people residing in the governorate, 3,119,112 people live in rural areas as opposed to only 1,126,103 in urban areas. [3]

Demographics[edit]

Asyut governorate has a population of over 4 million people,with a significant Coptic presence. In 1914, it had the second largest proportion of Copts in Egypt, where they made up 20.7% of the population.[4] However it is likely that figure is underestimated, since the Church claims up to 48.5% while the remaining population are Sunni Muslims.[5][6] Evangelical (Protestant) religions had significant growth in some districts of Asyut, as evidenced in 1907 census data, where half of the citizens of a village were counted as Protestant Copts.[7] Muslims and Christians have lived together in Asyut and at times there have been clashes. In July 2013, a large number of Christians took to the streets to protest Muslim extremism in Asyut.[8] Whether Christian or Muslim, Asyut is home to a very conservative society and in October, 2016 Upper Egypt's first beauty pageant, which was to be held in Asyut, had to be canceled due to death threats and security issues. A very conservative society, which is Asyut, stopped the pageant.[9]

Cities[edit]

Industrial zones[edit]

According to the Egyptian Governing Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI), in affiliation with the Ministry of Investment (MOI), the following industrial zones are located in this governorate:[10]

  • Al Awamer Abnoub
  • Al Zarabi in Abu Tig
  • Al Safa (Beni Ghaleb)
  • Sahel Selim
  • Dairout
  • Badari
  • New Asyut

Important sites[edit]

Ancient quarries are an important feature of Asyut. There are about 500 rock-cut tombs and limestone quarries all around Asyut.[11]The governorate of Asyut includes the Ancient Egyptian tombs of Meir,[12] and the town of Durunka,[13] which is a pilgrimage site for many Copts who come to visit a monastery dedicated to the Virgin Mary.[14][15][16]

Notable residents[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "رسمياً.. المحافظون الجدد ونوابهم يؤدون اليمين الدستورية أمام الرئيس". Almasry Alyoum (in Arabic). 30 August 2018. 
  2. ^ Hopkins, Daniel J. (1997). Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary (3rd ed.). Merriam Webster. ISBN 978-0877795469. 
  3. ^ "Population Estimates By Sex & Governorate 1/1/2015" (PDF). CAPMAS. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 October 2015. Retrieved 23 October 2016. 
  4. ^ "Christians of the Middle East". Columbia University. Archived from the original on 23 July 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2016. 
  5. ^ "The Coptic Orthodox Church in action - Al-Ahram Weekly". weekly.ahram.org.eg. Archived from the original on 2016-03-01. Retrieved 2016-02-18. 
  6. ^ Seng, Ph.D, Yvonne (2008). Men in Black Dresses: A Quest for the Future Among Wisdom-Makers of the Middle East. Simon & Shuster. p. 85. ISBN 9781439104569. Retrieved 17 October 2016. 
  7. ^ Sharkey, Heather J. (2013). American Evangelicals in Egypt: Missionary Encounters in an Age of Empire. Princeton University Press. p. 73. ISBN 9781400837250. Retrieved 1 November 2016. 
  8. ^ Thabet, Mamdouh; Hendawi, Hamza. "Christian Egyptians confront Muslim stronghold". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2016. 
  9. ^ Farouk, Menna A. (October 11, 2016). "Egypt Pulse - Threats drive out beauty pageant in Upper Egypt". Al Monitor. Archived from the original on 3 November 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2016. 
  10. ^ "Investment Regimes, Industrial Zones of Governorate". Ministry of Investment Egypt. Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2016. 
  11. ^ Mostafa, Ashraf Aboul-Fetooh. Caves of the Nile Valley (Governorate of Assiut, Middle Egypt): a long-term interaction between human societies and their environment. Open Edition. p. 37. Archived from the original on 2016-11-03. 
  12. ^ Maspero, Gaston. History of Egypt, Chald_a, Syria, Babylonia and Assyria (Complete). Library of Alexandria. ISBN 9781465523808. Retrieved 1 November 2016. 
  13. ^ Albera, Dionigi; Couroucli, Maria (2012). Sharing Sacred Spaces in the Mediterranean: Christians, Muslims, and Jews at Shrines and Sanctuaries. Indiana University Press. p. 169. ISBN 9780253223173. 
  14. ^ "The Convent of Virgin Mary - Assiut". YouTube. Retrieved 1 November 2016. 
  15. ^ Meinardus, Otto (June 1, 1962). The Holy Family in Egypt. Coptic Net. Archived from the original on 28 October 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2016. 
  16. ^ Fouly, Mahmoud; Xue, Wang. "Virgin Mary's convent, monastery in Assiut eye witnesses of Holy Family's flee to Upper Egypt". Xinhua. Archived from the original on 22 October 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2016. 
  17. ^ Meinardus, Otto F. A. (September 1, 2006). Christians In Egypt: Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant Communities - Past and Present. American University in Cairo Press. ISBN 9781617972621. Retrieved 1 November 2016. 
  18. ^ Hanna Fahmy Wissa, Assiout: the saga of an Egyptian family, 2000.
  19. ^ "Ḥāfiẓ Ibrāhīm EGYPTIAN POET". Britannica. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2016. 
  20. ^ Stephens, Robert Henry (1972). Nasser: A Political Biography. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-671-21224-7. 
  21. ^ "Pope of Egypt's Coptic Christian Church dies". USA Today. March 17, 2012. Archived from the original on 13 November 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2016. 

External links[edit]

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