1.
Egypt
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Egypt, officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia by a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. Egypt is a Mediterranean country bordered by the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northeast, the Gulf of Aqaba to the east, the Red Sea to the east and south, Sudan to the south, and Libya to the west. Across the Gulf of Aqaba lies Jordan, and across from the Sinai Peninsula lies Saudi Arabia, although Jordan and it is the worlds only contiguous Afrasian nation. Egypt has among the longest histories of any country, emerging as one of the worlds first nation states in the tenth millennium BC. Considered a cradle of civilisation, Ancient Egypt experienced some of the earliest developments of writing, agriculture, urbanisation, organised religion and central government. One of the earliest centres of Christianity, Egypt was Islamised in the century and remains a predominantly Muslim country. With over 92 million inhabitants, Egypt is the most populous country in North Africa and the Arab world, the third-most populous in Africa, and the fifteenth-most populous in the world. The great majority of its people live near the banks of the Nile River, an area of about 40,000 square kilometres, the large regions of the Sahara desert, which constitute most of Egypts territory, are sparsely inhabited. About half of Egypts residents live in areas, with most spread across the densely populated centres of greater Cairo, Alexandria. Modern Egypt is considered to be a regional and middle power, with significant cultural, political, and military influence in North Africa, the Middle East and the Muslim world. Egypts economy is one of the largest and most diversified in the Middle East, Egypt is a member of the United Nations, Non-Aligned Movement, Arab League, African Union, and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Miṣr is the Classical Quranic Arabic and modern name of Egypt. The name is of Semitic origin, directly cognate with other Semitic words for Egypt such as the Hebrew מִצְרַיִם, the oldest attestation of this name for Egypt is the Akkadian
2.
Beni Suef
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Beni Suef, is the capital city of the Beni Suef Governorate in Egypt. Beni Suef is an important agricultural center, which grew from a village at the turn of the century. It was famous for its manufacturing in the Middle Ages. It is also known for its alabaster, quarried in the nearby hills, Beni Suef is located about 115 km south of Cairo. The Meidum Pyramid and Fayum Oasis are nearby, Beni Suef is known for its large mansions, including the Ismail Mansion, owned by General Ahmed Mamdouh Ismail. Beni Suef University and the private Al Nahda University are located in Beni Suef, Beni Suef has a hot desert climate in Köppen-Geiger classification, as does all of Egypt. It has very hot summers and warm winters with cool nights, a train accident in 1995 near Beni Suef left 75 people dead. The Beni Suef Cultural Palace Fire, on September 5,2005, berlenti Abdul Hamid, actress Telephonat Bani Sweif football team has been promoted for the first time in the Egyptian Premier League for the 2011/2012 season. Sannur Cave national park Bishop Athanasius The Daughters of St. Mary Falling Rain Genomics, Inc
3.
Cairo
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Cairo is the capital and largest city of Egypt. Cairo has long been a center of the political and cultural life. Cairo has the oldest and largest film and music industries in the Arab world, as well as the worlds second-oldest institution of higher learning, Al-Azhar University. Many international media, businesses, and organizations have regional headquarters in the city, with a population of 6.76 million spread over 453 square kilometers, Cairo is by far the largest city in Egypt. An additional 9.5 million inhabitants live in proximity to the city. Cairo, like many other mega-cities, suffers from high levels of pollution, Cairos metro, one of only two in Africa, ranks among the fifteen busiest in the world, with over 1 billion annual passenger rides. The economy of Cairo was ranked first in the Middle East in 2005, Egyptians often refer to Cairo as Maṣr, the Egyptian Arabic name for Egypt itself, emphasizing the citys importance for the country. In Coptic the city is known as Kahire, meaning Place of the Sun, possibly referring to the ancient city of Heliopolis, the location of the ancient city is the suburb of Ain Shams. The ancient Egyptian name for the area is thought to be Khere-Ohe, The Place of Combat, sometimes the city is informally referred to as Kayro. The area around present-day Cairo, especially Memphis, had long been a point of Ancient Egypt due to its strategic location just upstream from the Nile Delta. However, the origins of the city are generally traced back to a series of settlements in the first millennium. Around the turn of the 4th century, as Memphis was continuing to decline in importance and this fortress, known as Babylon, remained the nucleus of the Roman, and, later, the Byzantine, city and is the oldest structure in the city today. It is also situated at the nucleus of the Coptic Orthodox community, many of Cairos oldest Coptic churches, including the Hanging Church, are located along the fortress walls in a section of the city known as Coptic Cairo. Following the Muslim conquest in 640 AD the conqueror Amr ibn As settled to the north of the Babylon in an area became known as al-Fustat. Originally a tented camp Fustat became a permanent settlement and the first capital of Islamic Egypt, in 750, following the overthrow of the Ummayad caliphate by the Abbasids, the new rulers created their own settlement to the northeast of Fustat which became their capital. This was known as al-Askar as it was laid out like a military camp, a rebellion in 869 by Ahmad ibn Tulun led to the abandonment of Al Askar and the building of another settlement, which became the seat of government. This was al-Qattai, to the north of Fustat and closer to the river, Al Qattai was centred around a palace and ceremonial mosque, now known as the Mosque of ibn Tulun. In 905 the Abbasids re-asserted control of the country and their returned to Fustat
4.
Nile
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The Nile is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It is generally regarded as the longest river in the world, in particular, the Nile is the primary water source of Egypt and Sudan. The Nile has two tributaries, the White Nile and Blue Nile. The White Nile is considered to be the headwaters and primary stream of the Nile itself, the Blue Nile, however, is the source of most of the water and silt. The White Nile is longer and rises in the Great Lakes region of central Africa and it flows north through Tanzania, Lake Victoria, Uganda and South Sudan. The Blue Nile begins at Lake Tana in Ethiopia and flows into Sudan from the southeast, the two rivers meet just north of the Sudanese capital of Khartoum. The northern section of the river flows north almost entirely through the Sudanese desert to Egypt, then ends in a large delta, Egyptian civilization and Sudanese kingdoms have depended on the river since ancient times. Most of the population and cities of Egypt lie along those parts of the Nile valley north of Aswan, in the ancient Egyptian language, the Nile is called Ḥpī or Iteru, meaning river. In Coptic, the words piaro or phiaro meaning the river come from the ancient name. The English name Nile and the Arabic names en-Nîl and an-Nîl both derive from the Latin Nilus and the Ancient Greek Νεῖλος, beyond that, however, the etymology is disputed. One possible etymology derives it from a Semitic Nahal, meaning river, the standard English names White Nile and Blue Nile, to refer to the rivers source, derive from Arabic names formerly applied only to the Sudanese stretches which meet at Khartoum. Above Khartoum, the Nile is also known as the White Nile, at Khartoum the river is joined by the Blue Nile. The White Nile starts in equatorial East Africa, and the Blue Nile begins in Ethiopia, both branches are on the western flanks of the East African Rift. The drainage basin of the Nile covers 3,254,555 square kilometers, the source of the Nile is sometimes considered to be Lake Victoria, but the lake has feeder rivers of considerable size. It is either the Ruvyironza, which emerges in Bururi Province, Burundi, or the Nyabarongo, the two feeder rivers meet near Rusumo Falls on the Rwanda-Tanzania border. Gish Abay is reportedly the place where the water of the first drops of the Blue Nile develop. The Nile leaves Lake Nyanza at Ripon Falls near Jinja, Uganda and it flows north for some 130 kilometers, to Lake Kyoga. For the remaining part it flows westerly through the Murchison Falls until it reaches the very northern shores of Lake Albert where it forms a significant river delta
5.
Meidum
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Meidum, Maydum or Maidum is an archaeological site in Lower Egypt. It contains a pyramid and several mud-brick mastabas. The area is located around 62 miles south of modern Cairo, the architect was a successor to the famous Imhotep, the inventor of the stone built pyramid. The collapse of the pyramid is likely due to the made to Imhoteps pyramid design as well as the decisions taken twice during construction to extend the pyramid. Because of its appearance, the pyramid is called el-heram el-kaddaab — in Egyptian Arabic. The second extension turned the original step pyramid design into a pyramid by filling in the steps with limestone encasing. While this approach is consistent with the design of the other true pyramids, firstly, the outer layer was founded on sand and not on rock, like the inner layers. Secondly, the step pyramids had been designed as the final stage. Thus the outer surface was polished and the platforms of the steps were not horizontal and this severely compromised the stability and is likely to have caused the collapse of the Meidum Pyramid in a downpour while the building was still under construction. Some believe the pyramid not to have collapsed until the New Kingdom, the Meidum Pyramid seems never to have been completed. Beginning with Sneferu and to the 12th dynasty all pyramids had a valley temple, the mortuary temple, which was found under the rubble at the base of the pyramid, apparently never was finished. Two Steles inside, usually bearing the names of the pharaoh, are missing inscriptions, the burial chamber inside the pyramid itself is uncompleted, with raw walls and wooden supports still in place which are usually removed after construction. Affiliated mastabas were never used or completed and none of the burials have been found. Finally, the first examinations of the Meidum Pyramid found everything below the surface of the rubble mound fully intact, stones from the outer cover were stolen only after they were exposed by the excavations. This makes a catastrophic collapse more probable than a gradual one, the collapse of this pyramid during the reign of Sneferu is the likely reason for the change from the usual 52 to 43 degrees of his second pyramid at Dahshur, the Bent Pyramid. By the time it was investigated by Napoleons Expedition in 1799 the Meidum Pyramid had its present three steps. The Meidum Pyramid was excavated by John Shae Perring in 1837, Lepsius in 1843 and then by Flinders Petrie later in the nineteenth century, in 1920 Ludwig Borchardt studied the area further, followed by Alan Rowe in 1928 and then Ali el-Kholi in the 1970s. In its ruined state, the structure is 213 feet high, the chamber is unlikely to have been used for any burial
6.
Minya Governorate
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Minya Governorate is one of the governorates of Upper Egypt. Its capital city, Minya is located on the bank of the Nile River. The name may originate from the citys name in Egyptian Menat Khufu. According to population estimates from 2015 the majority of residents in the live in rural areas. Out of an estimated 5,156,702 people residing in the governorate,4,183,284 people live in areas as opposed to only 973,418 in urban areas. The capital of Minya governorate is the city of Minya, the governorate is one of the most highly populated governorates of Upper Egypt. Its remarkable history, including Ancient Egyptian, Hellenistic, Roman, dehnet, Fraser Tombs, Sharuna, and Zawyet el-Maiyitin comprise monuments dating back to the Old Kingdom. The village of Bani Hasan al Shurruq houses 390 rock-cut decorated tombs, the Speos Artemidos is nearby, and hosts temples built by Queen Hatshepsut. Akhetaten was built by Pharaoh Akhenaten and dedicated to the god Aten, Akhenaten lived there in isolation with his beautiful wife, Nefertiti, and daughters, devoting himself to the monotheistic religion that he preached. The glorious remains of the palaces, temples and tombs still exist today, other significant archaeological sites in the governorate of Minya include Deir Abu Hinis, Deir el-Bersha, El-Sheikh Said, and Tuna el-Gebel. El Ashmunein was the capital of the region during this period and it was the main center of worship of the god Thoth. Today, the ruins of a Greek temple, similar to the Parthenon, the tomb and chapel of Petosiris are found near the modern village of Tuna el-Gebel. Antinopolis was built in 130 A. D. by the Roman emperor Hadrian in memory of his favorite cup-bearer Antinous, the Monastery of the Virgin Mary at Gebel el-Teir is an important Christian site near the city of Samalut. Its church was built by Empress Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, in 328, oxyrhynchus was an important administrative center during the Hellenistic Period, and remains an important archaeological source for papyri from the Byzantine Egypt. Maghagha hosts the mosque of the famous Muslim Zayid ibn al Mugharah, today, Minya governorate has the highest concentration of Coptic Christians of 50% of the total population. There are also a number of monasteries in the region. In 1981, the Basic Village Service Program of USAID, had several water, in 2013, The United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security helped farmers in Minya by doing consultation work with them and taking soil samples. The national holiday of the Minya governorate is on 18 March and it commemorates those who were executed by the British at Deir Mawas on 18 March 1919
7.
Ismailia Governorate
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Ismailia Governorate is one of the Canal Zone governorates of Egypt. Located in the part of the country, its capital is the city of Ismailia. It was named after Ismail Pasha, who as Ottoman Viceroy of Egypt and it is located between the other two Canal governorates, Port Said Governorate, in the Northern part of Egypt and Suez Governorate. According to population estimates from 2015 the majority of residents in the live in rural areas. Out of an estimated 1,178,641 people residing in the governorate,643,778 people live in areas as opposed to only 534,863 in urban areas. Instead this festival has been celebrating its annual events in Ismailia Governorate and it is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Ismailia Governorate, The National Cinema Center and other sponsors. The Ismailia Governorate is on the banks of the Suez Canal and its Ismailia Canal extends from the Nile River near Cairo, to the Suez Canal at the city of Ismailia, the Ismailia Canal was built to provide fresh water to workers during the building of the Suez Canal. The Suez Canal Authority headquarters is located in Ismailia, from 1967 to 1970, Ismailia became a war zone and was damaged in the conflict with Israel. There are several official fishing landing sites in Ismailia, one is at Lake Timsah and the other at Bitter Lake. After a successful SIP from 1992-1997, the United Nations expanded the project to include the entire Governorate of Ismailia calling it SGIP and its goal is to work with local partners to improve the communities in Ismailia
8.
Beheira Governorate
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Beheira Governorate is a coastal governorate in Egypt. Located in the part of the country in the Nile Delta. Beheira Governorate enjoys an important strategical place, west of the Rosetta branch of the Nile and it comprises four important highways, namely the Cairo-Alexandria desert road, the Cairo agricultural road, the international road and the circular road. Beheira Governorate is also home to a number of the most important Coptic monasteries in Wadi El Natrun, beheira consists of 13 centers and 14 cities, and contains important industries such as cotton, chemicals, carpets, electricity and fishing. In 2017, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi appointed the first female governor in the history for Beheiras Governorate. According to population estimates from 2015 the majority of residents in the live in rural areas. Out of an estimated 5,804,262 people residing in the governorate,4,674,346 people live in areas as opposed to only 1,129,916 in urban areas
9.
Port Said Governorate
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Port Said Governorate is one of the Canal Zone governorates of Egypt. It is located in the part of the country, on the Mediterranean Sea at the northern gate of the Suez Canal. Its capital is the city of Port Said, it is the home of the Suez Canal Authority headquarters and it is urban with 98. 2% of the area populated. Port Said Governorate also includes Port Fuad, in 2015 a huge natural gas reserve was discovered and was described as the largest ever found in the Mediterranean Sea. It was found off the coast of Port Said, Egypt now has one of the largest areas of natural gas and Italian company, ENI has been contracted to work on the natural gas liquefaction for Egypt. It was welcome news as Egypt has long suffered an energy crisis, the New Suez Canal project launched in 2015 included dredging of the East Port Said Canal. Port Said Port Fuad At the 2006 Census, there were 570,768 people,2015 estimates put that figure at 666,599. With an urbanization rate of 100%, the Port Said Governorate is one of the most urbanized in the country, along with Cairo, in February,2012, more than 70 people died in the Port Said Stadium Riot after a soccer match. Social unrest in early 2013 continued for at least two weeks, while protesting, on March 5,2013, protesters set fire to the governorates headquarters and several people were injured. In October,2016 Egyptians protested the increase in their rent on apartments, one official and several residents were arrested. Port Said Governorate is a transit point for trade, importing and exporting millions of tons of goods each year. Tourism is also promoted for the region, there are several museums in this area. For cultural tourism one may want to visit the Port Said National Museum of Antiquities which opened in 1987 and is located at the confluence of the Suez Canal waters and the Mediterranean Sea. It houses about 9,000 artifacts from all eras, ranging from the Pharaonic, Greek, Roman, the Military Museum of Port Said, established in 1964, commemorates the 1956 the tripartite aggression on the city. It features armory and military artifacts, equipment used in the wars fought between 1956 -1967 and in 1973, al-Nasr Museum of Modern Art in Port Said opened on December 25,1995 and includes artwork by Egyptian artists in various branches of Fine Art. This makes it a favorite with tourists, nearby, is the Suez Canal Authority building built on the banks of Port Said at the start of the project. The lighthouse and jetties at Port Said, located at the terminus of the Suez canal. The lighthouse is a monolith 180 feet high, in the construction 120,000 tons of Teil hydraulic lime were used
10.
Giza Governorate
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Giza Governorate is one of the governorates of Egypt. It is in the center of the country, situated on the west bank of the Nile River opposite Cairo and its capital is the city of Giza. The Giza Governorate is also home to the Great Sphinx and the Pyramids of Giza, according to population estimates from 2015 the majority of residents in the governorate live in urban areas, with an urbanization rate of 58. 6%. Out of an estimated 7,585,115 people residing in the governorate,4,446,805 people lived in areas as opposed to only 3,138,310 in rural areas. It is located in the Giza pyramid complex, in a program that began on August 28,2012, the European Union invested 40 million Euros on upgrading the infrastructure of informal areas in Giza Governorate. Media related to Giza Governorate at Wikimedia Commons
11.
Faiyum Governorate
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Faiyum Governorate is one of the governorates of Egypt in the middle of the country. Its capital is the city of Faiyum, located about 81 mi south west of Cairo and it has a population of 3,072,181. The name Faiyum comes from Coptic ̀Ⲫⲓⲟⲙ /Ⲡⲉⲓⲟⲙ efiom/peiom, meaning the Sea or the Lake, which in turn comes from late Egyptian pA y-m of the same meaning, a reference to the nearby Lake Moeris. The governorate of Faiyum includes, The large fertile Faiyum Oasis, which comprises farmland, Lake Moeris, south of the Faiyum Oasis, a smaller depression contains the town of El Gharaq el Sulţāni. It is also irrigated from the Nile, a dry barren depression named Wadi El Rayan, which covers 280 mi², west of the El Gharaq el Sulţāni depression. Desert and dry mountains, which surround the depressions. According to population estimates from 2015 the majority of residents in the live in rural areas. Out of an estimated 3,170,150 people residing in the governorate,2,456,368 people live in areas as opposed to only 713,782 in urban areas. Fayoum Governorate Official website This article incorporates text from a now in the public domain, Chisholm, Hugh
12.
New Valley Governorate
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New Valley Governorate is one of the governorates of Egypt. It is located in the part of the country, in Egypts Western Desert, part of the Sahara Desert – between the Nile, northern Sudan, and southeastern Libya. Consisting of roughly a third of Egypts area, the New Valley Governorate is the countrys largest governorate, the capital is at the Kharga Oasis. According to population estimates from 2015 the majority of residents in the live in rural areas. Out of an estimated 225,416 people residing in the governorate,117,180 people live in areas as opposed to only 108,236 in urban areas. Protesters set fire to police stations and the NDP - National Democratic Party building, multiple deaths were reported in addition to hundreds of injuries amid claims that the police opened fire on protesters in Kharga Oasis with live ammunition. Kharga Farafra Dakhla Baris Manufacturing of palm dates, tourism and Safaris Agricultural activities New Valley Project Gilf Kebir Governorates of Egypt
Egypt
