![]() |
Assiut City Area and Location
Assiut is the capital city of Assiut
governorate in Upper Egypt. Assiut is the largest city in Upper Egypt and lies
about 375 Kilometers south of Cairo. The total area of the governorate covers
1553 square kilometers, of which the city of Assiut occupies around 23 sq Km.
With such an area, Assiut comes first among upper Egyptian capital cities.
Assiut and ancient civilization had been rooted in the depth of history, and its
monuments indicate that it had been one of the vanguards of culture, industry
and the arts for more than 4000 years BC. It is one of the oldest cities in the
whole world.
History
Assiut could maintain its name throughout
history. The name 'Assiut' had been originally derived from the Ancient Egyptian
(Sa-oot), which means a guard who watches the borders between Upper Egypt and
Lower Egypt. The name remained unchanged until the Greco-Roman times where it
was given the name Lycopolis (city of the wolf). Since ancient times, Assiut has
been distinguished by its fertile land and rich resources. Until recently,
Assiut has been the largest market in Upper Egypt on the level of trade of
Sudanese goods and oases and Moroccan products transported easily through the
historic road known as Darb Al Arba-een which tied Assiut with the oases and
Sudan. In the northern part of Assiut, there streams from the Nile one of the
longest man-made canals in the world, the Ibrahimiya which runs at the barrages
of Assiut northwards.
Climate
The province of Assiut, mostly a
semi-desert territory, is hot in summer and cold in winter. However,
temperatures vary significantly from nighttime to daytime. All year long, the
region is characterized by its clear skies, bright sun, and rare
rains.
Activities and Economy
The main occupation of the
inhabitants of Assiut is agriculture. The region produces a number of the most
important traditional crops such as: cotton, wheat, beans, cane sugar, and
fruits such as: oranges, pomegranate and Tangerines. Assiut is also well known
for some handicraft industries that demand artisanship and skill. Of these
industries are hand-made carpets, furniture, leather, ivory works, jewelry and
Arabesque timber plants. Besides, there are large modern industries of
medicines, fertilizers and cotton, yarn spinning plant, cement plant, oil
refining and mobilization of butane gas. There are branches of major National
and International banks.
Transportation
Due to its national
importance, Assiut is linked with all cities and provinces of the Republic
through a network of roads, water transportation, and railways. Trains and buses
travel from and to Assiut almost every hour for 24 hours. There is also an
international airport in Assiut where several Airlines and flights work on
regular basis.
Population
The population of the province of
Assiut, estimated currently, is about 3.151.871, of which the population of the
city of Assiut is about 745.544. It is clear that the University has had an
impact on the increase of the number of the population of the city and their
cultural, economic, and social development.
Tourism
There are
several places of tourist attraction in Assiut Governorate. Of these important
tourist sites are the ancient graves and tombs of Mir rock, Badari
archaeological sites, Al Muharraq Monastery at al Qusia, the Monastery of Virgin
Mary, and some ancient mosques and churches belonging to ancient times. Of
relatively modern attraction are the Assiut barrages, Khan Khalili Factory, Al
Azhar University, and Environmental Timber Fair.
In the town of Abu Teeg
stands the twin Minaret mosque of El-Farghal, one of the most famous religious
tourist attractions in Assiut Governorate. It was erected to honor Sheikh
Mohammed Ahmed El-Farghal who was born in 810 AH. The mosque is located on a
large space, 27 km south of the city of Assiut. Yearly, in a large procession, a
celebration of the birthday of El-Farghal is held. |
![]() |
