Beni Suef ( ar, بني سويف, Baniswēf) is the capital city of the

Beni Suef Governorate Beni Suef ( ar, محافظة بني سويف ') is one of the governorates of Egypt. It is situated in the center of the country. Overview This governorate's capital is the city of Beni Suef, located about 120 km south of Cairo on the wes ...

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 Mediter ...

. Beni Suef is the location of

Beni Suef University Beni Suef University is an institution of higher education located in Beni Suef, Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning the North Afri ...

. An important agricultural trade centre on the west bank of the Nile River, the city is located 110 km (70 miles) south of Cairo.

Etymology

The modern name of the town is a corruption of its original name ''Manfiswayh'' (), which itself comes from a

Coptic Coptic may refer to: Afro-Asia * Copts, an ethnoreligious group mainly in the area of modern Egypt but also in Sudan and Libya * Coptic language, a Northern Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Egypt until at least the 17th century * Coptic alphabet ...

toponymic construction ⲡ-ⲙⲁ-ⲛ-... ("the place of..."); however, its exact etymology is unknown.

History

Carl Friedrich Heinrich Werner Beni Suef 1874

From the early Pharaonic era to the

Roman period The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Roman Republic, Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings aro ...

, the area was home to the city of Heracleopolis, 10 miles west of the modern city. which also served as the capital of Lower and Middle Egypt during the 9th and 10th dynasties. The modern city rose to prominence during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

, when it was renowned for its linen manufacturing, which continues to the present day through the city's carpet making and cotton spinning industries. Beni Suef became the chief town of the second province of Upper Egypt during the reign of

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...

in the 19th Century.

Geography

The total area of the governorate is 1,954 square kilometers, and it is divided into six governorates. It is bordered to the north by Giza governorate and Helwan, to the northeast by Suez, to the east by the Red Sea governorate, to the west by Fayoum governorate, and to the south by Minya governorate. This region connects the north of Egypt to the south, and the east to the west, and this identity of centrality has formed the population, civilization, and economic characters of the region. The geographical proximity to vital governorates such as Cairo and Giza is significant, and the governorates of the Red Sea, Suez, Fayoum and Ismailia tourist areas all act as markets for the industrial products made in Beni Suef.

Climate

Beni Suef has a

hot desert climate The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk''), is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...

(BWh) in Köppen-Geiger classification, as does all of Egypt. It has very hot summers and warm winters with cool nights.

Accidents

train In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and Passenger train, transport people or Rail freight transport, freight. Trains are typically pul ...

accident in 1995 near Beni Suef left 75 people dead. *The Beni Suef Cultural Palace Fire, on September 5, 2005, killed 46 people.

Notable people

Berlenti Abdul Hamid Berlenti Abdel Hamid ( arz, برلنتي عبد الحميد ) (20 November 19351 December 2010), born Nefisa Abdel-Hamid Hawass (Egyptian Arabic: نفيسة عبدالحميد حواس), was an icon of Egyptian cinema's golden age. She is ...

, actress

Sports

* Telephonat Beni Suef football team was promoted for the first time to the

Egyptian Premier League The Egyptian Premier League ( ar, الدوري المصري الممتاز), also known as WE Egyptian Premier League (WE EPL) after the addition of title sponsor WE, is a professional association football league in Egypt and the top level of th ...

for the 2011/2012 season.

Gallery

BeniSuefSayidaHoriya.jpg, Beni Suef El Sayda Houria Mosque BeniSuefAzizMosque.jpg, Beni Suef Aziz Mosque BeniSuefMuseumEntrance.jpg, Beni Suef Archeological Museum

References

External links

* Falling Rain Genomics, Inc.
Beni Suef, Egypt
{{Authority control Populated places in Beni Suef Governorate Governorate capitals in Egypt Cities in Egypt