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 List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning the North Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via a land bridg ...

. 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 metr ...

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 Damietta ( arz, دمياط ' ; cop, ⲧⲁⲙⲓⲁϯ, Tamiati) is a port city and the capital of the Damietta Governorate in Egypt, a former bishopric and present multiple Catholic titular see. It is located at the Damietta branch, an easte ...

Branch of the

Nile River The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered the longest riv ...

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 archaeologi ...

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 pe ...

. 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 be ...

s, an ingredient in

perfume Perfume (, ; french: parfum) is a mixture of fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds (fragrances), fixatives and solvents, usually in liquid form, used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living-spaces an agreeable scent ...

. 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 A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About one ...

(BWh).

Education

Banha University

Banha University 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 Ahmed Fathi Abdelmonem Ahmed Ibrahim ( ar, أحمد فتحي; born 10 November 1984) is an Egyptian professional footballer who plays for Pyramids. Born in Banha, he usually plays in the right back role for club and country. He started his care ...

, footballer * Ahmed Helmy, actor * , one of greatest poets and writers in

Isma'il Pasha Isma'il Pasha ( ar, إسماعيل باشا ; 12 January 1830 – 2 March 1895), was the Khedive of Egypt and conqueror of Sudan from 1863 to 1879, when he was removed at the behest of Great Britain. Sharing the ambitious outlook of his grand ...

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