Giza (; sometimes spelled ''Gizah'', ''Geeza''; arz, الجيزة ' ) is the second-largest city in Egypt after Cairo and fourth-largest city in Africa after

Kinshasa Kinshasa (; ; ln, Kinsásá), formerly Léopoldville ( nl, Leopoldstad), is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Once a site of fishing and trading villages situated along the Congo River, Kinshasa is now one o ...

, Lagos and Cairo. It is the capital of Giza Governorate with a total population of 9.2 million as of 2021. It is located on the west bank of the Nile, southwest of central Cairo, and is a part of the Greater Cairo metropolis. Giza lies less than north of Memphis (''Men-nefer''), which was the capital city of the first unified Egyptian state from the days of the first pharaoh,

Narmer Narmer ( egy, Wiktionary:nꜥr-mr, nꜥr-mr, meaning "painful catfish," "stinging catfish," "harsh catfish," or "fierce catfish;" ) was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh of the Early Dynastic Period (Egypt), Early Dynastic Period. He was the successor ...

. Giza is most famous as the location of the

Giza Plateau The Giza Plateau ( ar, هضبة الجيزة) is a plateau in Giza, on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt, site of the Fourth Dynasty Giza Necropolis, which includes the Great Pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, the Great Sphinx, several cemeteries ...

, the site of some of the most impressive ancient monuments in the world, including a complex of ancient Egyptian royal mortuary and sacred structures, including the Great Sphinx, the Great Pyramid of Giza, and a number of other large pyramids and temples. Giza has always been a focal point in Egypt's history due to its location close to Memphis, the ancient pharaonic capital of the Old Kingdom.

Geography

The city of Giza is the capital of the Giza Governorate, and is located near the northeast border of this governorate. The city's population was reported as 2,681,863 in the 2006 national census, while the governorate had 6,272,571 at the same census, without specifying what the city is. The former figure corresponds to the sum of 9 kisms. Technically, Giza may not be an incorporated municipal unit, and therefore not a city at all. In a typical Egyptian fashion, there are two districts within the Governorate with the same name: a kism/qasm and an associated markiz. Some 9 urban kisms of Giza Governorate form collectively a contiguous area of 98.4 km² on the Nile directly opposite Cairo, and recorded a preliminary count of 4,146,340 in 2017 census count, not including the Al-Ḥawāmidiyah kism separated by Giza markiz. It is unclear if the 9 urban kisms represent a single entity; the structure may be similar to that of

23 wards of Tokyo are a special form of municipalities in Japan under the 1947 Local Autonomy Law. They are city-level wards: primary subdivisions of a prefecture with municipal autonomy largely comparable to other forms of municipalities. Although the autono ...

in that all local units are simply subordinate to the Prefecture of Tokyo without any intermediate municipal structure. Notes:2018 CAPMAS projection based on 2017 revised census figures, may differ significantly from 2017 census preliminary tabulations. The 9 kisms were reported simply as ''Giza city'' by CAPMAS in 2006 but given explosive growth definitions, likely informal, may have change or may be set to change. Giza's most famous landform and archaeological site, the

, holds some major monuments of

Egyptian history The history of Egypt has been long and wealthy, due to the flow of the Nile River with its fertile banks and delta, as well as the accomplishments of Egypt's native inhabitants and outside influence. Much of Egypt's ancient history was a myste ...

, and is home to the Great Sphinx. Once thriving with the Nile that flowed right into the Giza Plateau, the pyramids of Giza were built overlooking the ancient Egyptian capital city of Memphis, across the river from modern day Cairo. The Great Pyramid of Giza at one time was advocated (1884) as the location for the Prime Meridian, a reference point used for determining a base longitude.

Climate

Giza experiences a hot desert climate like arid climate ( Köppen: BWh). Its climate is similar to Cairo, owing to its proximity. Wind storms can be frequent across Egypt in spring, bringing Saharan dust into the city during the months of March and April. High temperatures in winter range from , while nighttime lows drop to below . In summer, the highs are , and the lows can drop to about . Rain is infrequent in Giza; snow is extremely rare. Up to August 2013, the highest recorded temperature was on 13 June 1965, while the lowest recorded temperature was on 8 January 1966.

Districts and neighborhoods

Dokki Dokki ( ar, الدقي , is one of nine districts that make up Giza city, which is part of Greater Cairo, in Egypt. Dokki is situated on the western bank of the Nile, directly across from Downtown Cairo. It is a vital residential and comme ...

District: 93,660 93,025 * Agouza District: 174,460 162,851 * Giza District: 180,568 246,325, Kism Al Jizah 238,567 248,897 * Bulaq ad Dakrur: 453,884 564,791 *

Imbabah Imbaba ( ar, إمبابة ', ) is a working-class neighbourhood in northern Giza, Egypt, located west of the Nile and northwest of and near Gezira Island and downtown Cairo, within the Giza Governorate. The district is located in the historic uppe ...

: 287,357 389,049, Kism Imbabah 523,265 597,160 * Haram District: 200,076 295,704 * Omrania * Monib * Kafr Tuhurmus The centre of the city is Giza Square. * Faisal district Nile islands: *

Qorsaya Island Qorsaya Island (or el-Qursaya, Kursaya, Arabic: جزيرة القرصاية, Ǧazīrat al-Qurṣāya) is a Nile island located in the metropolitan region of Cairo near the western Nile shore south of Roda Island and near of Dahab Island. The isla ...

Dahab Island Dahab Island (or: Gazirat edh-Dhahab, Arabic: جزيرة الذهب, Ǧazīrat aḏ-Ḏahab, "Island of Gold") is a Nile island located in the metropolitan region of Cairo near the eastern Nile shore south of Roda Island Roda Island (or Rawda ...

History

Ancient era

The area in what is now Giza served as the necropolis of several pharaohs who ruled ancient Egypt, during the second millennium BC. Three of these tombs, in the form of giant pyramids, are what is now the famed

Giza pyramid complex The Giza pyramid complex ( ar, مجمع أهرامات الجيزة), also called the Giza necropolis, is the site on the Giza Plateau in Greater Cairo, Egypt that includes the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Pyramid of Khafre, and the Pyramid of Men ...

, featuring the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Classical to medieval era

Description de l'Egypte - Etat Moderne - Pl 16

As ancient Egypt passed under several conquests under the Persians, Greeks, Romans and Byzantines, so did the area in what is now Giza. A Byzantine village named ''Phylake'' () or ''Terso'' (, meaning "the fortress", now ''Tersa'') was located south of Giza and should not be confused with it.

Egyptians Egyptians ( arz, المَصرِيُون, translit=al-Maṣriyyūn, ; arz, المَصرِيِين, translit=al-Maṣriyyīn, ; cop, ⲣⲉⲙⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ, remenkhēmi) are an ethnic group native to the Nile, Nile Valley in Egypt. Egyptian ...

called the area Tipersis (Bohairic , cop, ϯⲡⲉⲣⲥⲓⲟⲓ, cop, ϯⲡⲉⲣⲥⲓⲟⲥ, cop, ϯⲡⲉⲣⲥⲓⲱϯ and cop, ⲡⲣⲥⲱⲓ and Sahidic ).

Eutychius Eutychius or Eutychios ( el, Εὐτύχιος, "fortunate") may refer to: * Eutychius Proclus, 2nd-century grammarian * Eutychius (exarch) (died 752), last Byzantine exarch of Ravenna * Saint Eutychius, an early Christian martyr and companion of ...

gives a legend the about city's name and its foundation by Artaxerxes Ochus, while Abu Salih says it was found by a Persian king Hūš at the same time as Qasr ash-Sham, but in view of the fact that older evidence is missing, it is perhaps most likely to have been founded during the

Sasanian conquest of Egypt The Sasanian conquest of Egypt took place between 618 and 621 CE, when the Sasanian Persian army defeated the Byzantine forces in Egypt and occupied the province. The fall of Alexandria, the capital of Roman Egypt, marked the first and most impo ...

in the early

7th century The 7th century is the period from 601 ( DCI) through 700 ( DCC) in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Common Era. The spread of Islam and the Muslim conquests began with the unification of Arabia by Muhammad starting in 622. After Muh ...

. As Muslims of the fledgling

Islamic Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the mai ...

caliphate went on with their conquest of Egypt from the Byzantine Empire beginning in 639 AD, three years after their victory at the battle of Yarmouk in 636 AD, they conquered all of the land by the time they captured the city of Alexandria in 641 AD. A year later in 642 AD ( year 21 in Islamic calendar), they founded the city of Giza. The exact etymology of its name is unknown. Al-Maqrizi suggested an irregular Arameo-Arabic root meaning "edge, side" to be the source. Everett-Heath suggested "on the side of the height (pyramid)". Peust also suggests a Persian etymology of the word from , which Persians could have given to the pyramids or a fortress they found in the area.

Infrastructure

Giza has seen many changes over time. Changes in infrastructure during the different occupations of Egypt by various rulers, including the British in the 18th and early 20th century, focused on the construction of roads, streets, and

buildings A building, or edifice, is an enclosed structure with a roof and walls standing more or less permanently in one place, such as a house or factory (although there's also portable buildings). Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and funct ...

in the area. Giza is a thriving centre of Egyptian culture and is quite heavily populated, with many facilities and buildings in the current area. Giza saw much attention in particular to its vast amount of ancient Egyptian monuments found on the

, and has astonished thousands of visitors and tourists over the years. Giza's infrastructure saw much attention from both the British government prior to the 1952 coup d'état, as well as the current Egyptian government due to the city's importance in tourism. Giza's St. George Cathedral is the

episcopal see An episcopal see is, in a practical use of the phrase, the area of a bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Phrases concerning actions occurring within or outside an episcopal see are indicative of the geographical significance of the term, mak ...

of the Coptic Catholic Eparchy of Giza. The city hosts the first zoo on the entire African continent and one of the oldest in the Mediterranean region, the Giza Zoo. In addition, there are several parks, the most famous among them is Orman Park, which means "Forest Park" in the Turkish language.

Transportation

Transportation in Giza comprises an extensive road network, rail system, subway system, and maritime services. Road transport is facilitated by personal vehicles, taxi cabs, privately owned public buses and microbuses. Giza shares with Cairo a subway system, officially called the "Metro (مترو)", a fast and efficient way of getting around. An extensive road network connects Giza with 6th of October City, Cairo and other cities. There are flyovers and bridges such as the 15th. Giza traffic is known to be overwhelming and overcrowded. * Cairo Taxi * Uber ''(Available in Cairo and Giza since 2015)'' * Careem ''(Available in Cairo and Giza since 2015)'' *

Swvl Swvl is an Dubai-based provider of tech-enabled mass transit solutions, offering intercity, intracity, B2B and B2G transportation products and services. Swvl operates in 135 cities in 20 countries across Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia. T ...

''(Available in Cairo and Giza since 2017) (A new concept of shared rides within Egypt). '' *Water Taxis (Motorized

Felucca A felucca ( ar, فلوكة, falawaka, possibly originally from Greek , ) is a traditional wooden sailing boat used in the eastern Mediterranean—including around Malta and Tunisia—in Egypt and Sudan (particularly along the Nile and in protect ...

s) available for transport to nearby places along the Nile River

Economy

A grass farm near the Nile River in Egypt

Industries here include movies, chemicals, Giza cotton, machinery and cigarettes. In addition, Giza has many luxury apartment buildings along the Nile, making it a popular place to live.

International access

Access to the city of Giza, which has its own

governorate A governorate is an administrative division of a state. It is headed by a governor. As English-speaking nations tend to call regions administered by governors either State (administrative division), states or province, provinces, the term ''govern ...

adjacent to the Governorate of Cairo, is dependent on the

Cairo International Airport Cairo International Airport (; ''Maṭār El Qāhira El Dawly'') is the principal international airport of Cairo and the largest and busiest airport in Egypt. It serves as the primary hub for Egyptair and Nile Air as well as several other ...

. Another local airport is found in Giza, called the Imbaba Airport, but recently the Egyptian government has decided to shut down the area and turn it into a cultural or an athletic area. Sphinx International Airport opened in 2018.

Education

Giza's learning institutions include Cairo University, which was moved to Giza in 1924. The city is a hub of education and educational services not only for Egypt but also for the entire Mediterranean Region. Giza has numerous schools, kindergartens, and institutes of higher learning. The Cairo Japanese School, a Japanese international school, is in Giza. The

Deutsche Evangelische Oberschule ''Deutsche Evangelische Oberschule'' (DEO; ar, المدرسة الألمانیة الإنجیلیة الثانویة بالقاهرة) is an exclusive German school in Dokki, Giza, Egypt, in the Cairo metropolitan area. It is operated by the G ...

, a German international school, is located in

in Giza. Previously the Pakistan International School of Cairo had its campus in Giza.Contact Us
" Pakistan International School Cairo. Retrieved on 21 April 2015. "12 Midan Tehran, Dokki, Cairo."

Sports

The city hosts the second most successful sports club in Egypt and Africa, El Zamalek, which is located in the

Meet Okba Meet may refer to: People with the name * Janek Meet (born 1974), Estonian footballer * Meet Mukhi (born 2005), Indian child actor Arts, entertainment, and media * Meet (TV series), ''Meet'' (TV series), an early Australian television series whic ...

neighbourhood near the

Mohandesin Mohandiseen ( ' , "The Engineers"), is a major 1940s sub-division project originally named Madinat al-Awqaf, and made up most of the Wasat (middle) district in the city of Giza, before being divided in 1997 into the districts of Agouza (cov ...

neighbourhood. Beside El Zamalek there are other clubs like El

Tersana Tersana Sporting Club ( ar, نادي الترسانة للألعاب الرياضية) is an Egyptian sports club based in Mit Okba, Meet Okba, Giza, Egypt. It is best known for its professional Association football, football team, which plays i ...

and Seid Shooting Club which is one of the elite clubs in Egypt.

Twin towns and sister cities

Giza is twinned with: * Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam * Bergen, Norway * Los Angeles, United States *

Rinkeby Rinkeby () is a stadsdel, district in the Rinkeby-Kista borough, Stockholm, Sweden. Rinkeby had 19,349 inhabitants in 2016. The neighbourhood was part of the Million Programme. The Stockholm metro station Rinkeby metro station, Rinkeby was also o ...

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

, Sweden