Banha ( arz, بنها ; , ) is the capital of the Qalyubiyya Governorate in north-eastern

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Med ...

. Between the capital of

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo met ...

and the city of

Tanta Tanta ( ar, طنطا ' , ) is a city in Egypt with the country's fifth largest populated area and 658,798 inhabitants as of 2018. Tanta is located between Cairo and Alexandria: north of Cairo and southeast of Alexandria. The capital of Gharbia ...

, Banha is an important transport hub, as rail lines from Cairo to various cities in the Nile Delta pass through it. Banha was founded as a city in 1850.

Etymology

The city's modern name derives from ''Banaho'' ( cop, ⲡⲁⲛⲁϩⲟ) from ''Per neha'' ( egy, pr-nha), which means 'House of Sycamore ( cop, ⲛⲟⲩϩⲓ)'.

Geography and economy

It is located 48 km (30 miles) north of

. located on the east bank of the Damietta Branch of the Nile River in the rich farmland of the southern part of the river's delta. Well-irrigated by canals leading off the Delta Barrage, a dam 30 km (20 miles) upstream, the surrounding farmland produces

wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeolog ...

and long-staple

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor p ...

. Since ancient times, Banha has been known for the production of attar of

rose A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can b ...

s, an ingredient in perfume. Today it is the center of Egypt's electronics industry. Banha is a major junction in the rail network that radiates north from

and it has the 6th biggest train station in Egypt. The north of Benha is the site of one of several ancient cities called Athribis, the capital of the tenth nome (province) of

Lower Egypt Lower Egypt ( ar, مصر السفلى '; ) is the northernmost region of Egypt, which consists of the fertile Nile Delta between Upper Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea, from El Aiyat, south of modern-day Cairo, and Dahshur. Historically ...

in about 1500 BC. The site has never been systematically investigated by archaeologists. Over the years, peasants digging in the area have uncovered a large hoard of silver. Athribis was the center of worship of the black bull and enjoyed the most popularity during the Roman period of rule in Egypt. Not much still stands of this ancient capital except some remains from the 18th to the 26th Dynasties. Though not a popular tourist destination, there are such sites here as a Greco-Roman cemetery and silver ingots discovered at the Athribis site currently on display at the Egyptian Museum. About 20 km (12 mi) southwest of Banha is Tall al Yahudiya, the site of

Leontopolis Leontopolis was an ancient Egyptian city located in the Nile Delta, Lower Egypt. It served as a provincial capital and Metropolitan Archbishopric. The archaeological site and settlement are known today as Kafr Al Muqdam. Name Known most popular ...

, famed for its glazed tiles in ancient times. Population is around 2,479,347 (2005) and total area is 16.105 km².

Climate

Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as hot desert (BWh).

Education

Banha University

Banha University Benha University is an Egyptian government university in the city of Benha, the capital of Al Qalyubiyah Governorate. It was established according to a decree on 25 November 1976 as a branch from Zagazig University in Benha, with the facultie ...

was established in November 1976 as a branch of Zagazig University in the governorate. It became an independent University in 2005 incorporating several facilities and departments with around 60,500 graduates per annum. The Faculty of Medicine is notable for research and management of 2 main hospitals in Banha. Banha

Districts

Banha consists of several districts : Al-Vilal, Banha El-Gedida (New Banha), Attrib, El-Manshiyyah , Kafr Manakr (El-Shdiya), West El-Balad (Downtown Area), El-Haras El-Watani, Manshiyyet El-Nur and Hayy El-Zehour(Flowers Suburb), Kafr El-Saraia, Ezbet El-Moraba'a,Kafr El-gazzar, Batta, Ezbet Elmanyawi, Ar Ramla, Ezbet El-Ziraea

Notable people

* Ahmed Fathy, footballer * Ahmed Helmy, actor * , one of greatest poets and writers in Isma'il Pasha era, born in Marsafa and died on 1889. *

Saad Samir Saad El-Din Samir Saad Ali, simply known as Saad Samir, ( ar, سعد الدين سمير; born 1 April 1989) is an Egyptian footballer who plays as a defender for Future on loan from Al Ahly. He has competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics. In May ...

, footballer Benha

References

External links

Qalyubia Governorate's official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:governm Governorate capitals in Egypt Populated places in Qalyubiyya Governorate