Sohag ( , ), also spelled as ''Sawhāj'', ''Suhag'' and ''Suhaj'', is a city on the west bank of the
Nile
The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin language, 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 ...
in Egypt. It has been the capital of
Sohag Governorate
Sohag Governorate is one of the governorates of Egypt. It is located in the southern part of the country (Upper Egypt), and covers a stretch of the Nile Valley. Since 1960, its capital has been the city of Sohag. Prior to that, the capital was t ...
since 1960, before which the capital was
Girga
Girga ( arz, جرجا ), alternatively Digirga or Digurga is a city in the Sohag Governorate of Upper Egypt. It is located on the west bank of the Nile River. Metropolitan see of the Coptic Orthodox Church.
Name
The name of the city comes from ...
and the name of the governorate was Girga Governorate. It also included Esna Governorate (nowadays
Qena Governorate
Qena Governorate is one of the governorates of Egypt. Located in the southern part of the country, it covers a stretch of the Nile valley. Its capital is the city of Qena.
Overview
The rate of poverty is more than 60% in this governorate but rec ...
).
History
The modern city developed from the village of ''Suhay'' () (or ''Sumay''), the name of which eventually transformed into Suhaj, and is located on the site of several ancient settlements, the largest of which is ''Bompae'' (; or ). The others include ''Tmupaie'' (, ), ''Bay'' (, possibly an Arabisation of the aforementioned "Paha") and ''Sawaqi'' ().
Geography
![Sohag by NASA](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Sohag_by_NASA.jpg)
Sohag lies on a fertile agricultural plain on the western bank of the Nile,
approximately southwest of
Akhmim
Akhmim ( ar, أخميم, ; Akhmimic , ; Sahidic/Bohairic cop, ) is a city in the Sohag Governorate of Upper Egypt. Referred to by the ancient Greeks as Khemmis or Chemmis ( grc, Χέμμις) and Panopolis ( grc, Πανὸς πόλις and Π ...
. The city includes two islands; Karaman-ez-Zahur Island is larger and uninhabited, and ez-Zahur Island (جزيرة الزهور, Ǧazīrat az-Zuhur, "Flower Island") has some homes.
Economy
The city Sohag of itself encloses only a few archaeological sites, hence tourism represents but a small portion of the city's income. Other sources of income include trade, small industries of carpets, furniture, spinning and weaving and sugar. Administrative and educational services are two big sectors of income.
Demographics
Religion
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
and
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
are the main religions in Sohag; about 75% of the population are Muslim..
Historical sites
Mosques
*
Sidi Arif Mosque
The Sidi Arif Mosque (also known as ''Masjid Al-Arif Bellah'', ; transliterated: ''Masjid al-Aarif bi Allah'') is one of the largest mosques in Sohag Governorate. It was built for the first time at the 14th century and was reconstructed several ti ...
(Arabic: مسجد العارف بالله, Masjid al-ʿArif bi-Allah). The mosque is located in the south of the city. The el-ʿArif Mosque was built in the 30th century—the 8th century of the Islamic calendar. The present building was constructed around 1995. At the corners of the façade are two
minaret
A minaret (; ar, منارة, translit=manāra, or ar, مِئْذَنة, translit=miʾḏana, links=no; tr, minare; fa, گلدسته, translit=goldaste) is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generall ...
s and the roof is crowned by a dome. Inside the five-nave mosque the bases of the piers and the walls were lined with red granite. The ceiling is painted ornamentally; in its middle is an elongated light dome. The southeastern half is lit by chandeliers. At the end are the prayer niche (
mihrab
Mihrab ( ar, محراب, ', pl. ') is a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the ''qibla'', the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca towards which Muslims should face when praying. The wall in which a ''mihrab'' appears is thus the "qibla w ...
) with simple ornaments and to the right of it the wooden pulpit (minbar).
* El-Farshuti Mosque (Arabic: جامع الفرشوطي, Jāmʿi al-Farschūṭī), also named el-'Atiq Mosque (the old mosque) is located approximately southwest of the
Sidi Arif Mosque
The Sidi Arif Mosque (also known as ''Masjid Al-Arif Bellah'', ; transliterated: ''Masjid al-Aarif bi Allah'') is one of the largest mosques in Sohag Governorate. It was built for the first time at the 14th century and was reconstructed several ti ...
. The most striking feature of the mosque is its minaret in the southeast corner. The minaret has galleries with balustrades on four floors. The mosque is a modern, bright building. The mosque is divided into five naves by columns and pillars. It has a central light dome, which is inscribed at the bottom with a
sura
A ''surah'' (; ar, سورة, sūrah, , ), is the equivalent of "chapter" in the Qur'an. There are 114 ''surahs'' in the Quran, each divided into '' ayats'' (verses). The chapters or ''surahs'' are of unequal length; the shortest surah ('' Al-K ...
from the
Qur'an
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , sing. ...
. The bases of the walls are painted yellow and white with green bands. A very colorful prayer niche next to the wooden pulpit is located at the southeastern side.
In the masonry on the eastern, southern and western sides are stones engraved with historical inscriptions moved from previous buildings, including a decree of the penultimate
Mamluk
Mamluk ( ar, مملوك, mamlūk (singular), , ''mamālīk'' (plural), translated as "one who is owned", meaning " slave", also transliterated as ''Mameluke'', ''mamluq'', ''mamluke'', ''mameluk'', ''mameluke'', ''mamaluke'', or ''marmeluke'') ...
sultan
al-Ghawri (1441–1516) from the year 1506 (911 AH) on the southeastern side.
Churches
Sohag has two important churches that were erected in the 20th century: the Church of the Holy Virgin and the
Church of Saint George.
* The Church of the Holy Virgin (Arabic: كنيسة السيدة العذراء, Kanīsat as-Saiyida al-ʿAdraʾ). The church is located in the north of the bazaar (souq Qaiṣarīya). It consists of five naves. There are three sanctuaries for Saint George (left), the Holy Virgin and the Archangel Michael at the ends of the middle three naves. All sanctuaries are completely screened by a wooden
iconostasis
In Eastern Christianity, an iconostasis ( gr, εἰκονοστάσιον) is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a Church (building), church. ''Iconostasis'' also refers to a portable icon stand t ...
. On both sides of the entrances to the sanctuaries are wooden icons of the Holy Virgin and Jesus. The Lord's Last Supper and the crosses are located above the iconstasis. The presentation in the central nave is framed by a fish and a pigeon; the other ones are framed by angels and a dove. Galleries are located above the aisles and the entrance. On the walls are paintings of saints and scenes from the life of Jesus.
* Church of St. George is the cathedral of the diocese of Sohag (Arabic: كنيسة مار جرجس, Kanīsat Mar Girgis). The church is located north of the Opera (Midan Obira) or Culture Square (Midan eth-Thaqafa).
* Church of the Archangel Michael (Arabic: كنيسة الملاك ميخائيل). The church is located in Railway Station Street (El-Mahatta Street) on the eastern side of the railway tracks.
Monasteries
White Monastery
The Coptic White Monastery is a
Coptic Orthodox
The Coptic Orthodox Church ( cop, Ϯⲉⲕ̀ⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ⲛ̀ⲣⲉⲙⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ ⲛ̀ⲟⲣⲑⲟⲇⲟⲝⲟⲥ, translit=Ti.eklyseya en.remenkimi en.orthodoxos, lit=the Egyptian Orthodox Church; ar, الكنيسة القبطي ...
monastery named after Saint
Shenouda the Archimandrite
Shenoute of Atripe, also known as Shenoute the Great or Saint Shenoute the Archimandrite (Coptic: ; (347-465 or 348-466) was the abbot of the White Monastery in Egypt. He is considered a saint by the Oriental Orthodox Churches, and is one of th ...
. It is located about west of Sohag. The monastery's name is derived from the color of the white limestone in its outside walls. The surviving building is the church of what was once a much larger monastery complex.
Red Monastery
The Red Monastery is a
Coptic Orthodox
The Coptic Orthodox Church ( cop, Ϯⲉⲕ̀ⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ⲛ̀ⲣⲉⲙⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ ⲛ̀ⲟⲣⲑⲟⲇⲟⲝⲟⲥ, translit=Ti.eklyseya en.remenkimi en.orthodoxos, lit=the Egyptian Orthodox Church; ar, الكنيسة القبطي ...
monastery named after an Egyptian saint called Pishay. It is located about north of the White Monastery. The monastery's name is derived from the color of the construction material of its outside walls, consisting of red (burnt) brick. The walls are considerably thicker at the base than at the top and, like the walls of
Ancient Egyptian temples, they are surmounted by cavetto moldings. The Red Monastery is architecturally similar to the White Monastery.
[
]
Temples and cemeteries
Sohag is the site of a temple built for the goddess Repyt
Repyt, or Repit, was an ancient Egyptian goddess. Typically, she was portrayed as one of the lioness goddesses of Egypt. Her husband was Min.
In ancient times there was a town named Hut-Repyt, where her temple was sited. Later, the town was renam ...
(Triphis) by Ptolemy XV Caesarion
Ptolemy XV Caesar). (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος ; 23 June 47 BC – August 30 BC), nicknamed Caesarion (, "Little Caesar"), was the last pharaoh of Ptolemaic Egypt, reigning with his mother Cleopatra from 2 September 44 BC until her d ...
and subsequent Roman emperors. South of this temple was an earlier temple of Ptolemy IX Soter II
Ptolemy IX Soter II Ptolemy IX also took the same title 'Soter' as Ptolemy I. In older references and in more recent references by the German historian Huss, Ptolemy IX may be numbered VIII. ( el, Πτολεμαῖος Σωτ ...
(see also Athribis Project
The Athribis Project is an archaeological and philological endeavour investigating the ruins of the Pharaonic and later Coptic Christian community of the Ancient Egyptian town of Athribis, near to the modern city of Sohag, Egypt. The aim of the pro ...
). One of the nearby tombs of the brothers Ibpemeny "the younger" and Pemehyt of the late second century BC, has two zodiacs on its ceiling.
Subdivisions
Sohag is informally divided into the East District (Arabic: حى شرق) and the West District (Arabic: حي غرب). Among the most notable regions of the West District are:
* Sidi Aref
* Al Shahid (Arabic for the Martyr)
* Gharb Al-Koubry ("West of the Bridge" neighborhood)
The East District is considered a more upscale district; it includes some of the most affluent neighborhoods of the city including 15th Street, Al Kashef Street, Jumhuriya Street, The Courts Compound, and The Technical and Agricultural Schools. Some of the most notable locales of the East District include:
* The Courts Compound of Sohag
* City Hall of Sohag
* Sohag University
Sohag University ( ar, جامعة سوهاج) is a public university in Egypt. It is located in Sohag, on the eastern bank of the Nile
The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin language, Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river ...
* Sohag Teaching Hospital, one of the biggest hospitals of the region
* Multiple governmental directorates
* Many recreational areas including The Sohag Stadium and many parks including Al Zohour, a revitalized island park located in the middle of the Nile.
* Nasr City, the first satellite city to be built in the East District. It was established during the presidency of Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein, . (15 January 1918 – 28 September 1970) was an Egyptian politician who served as the second president of Egypt from 1954 until his death in 1970. Nasser led the Egyptian revolution of 1952 and introduced far-re ...
.
Climate
The Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies Sohag's 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). Luxor
Luxor ( ar, الأقصر, al-ʾuqṣur, lit=the palaces) is a modern city in Upper (southern) Egypt which includes the site of the Ancient Egyptian city of ''Thebes''.
Luxor has frequently been characterized as the "world's greatest open-a ...
, Minya, Sohag, Qena
Qena ( ar, قنا ' , locally: ; cop, ⲕⲱⲛⲏ ''Konē'') is a city in Upper Egypt, and the capital of the Qena Governorate. Situated on the east bank of the Nile, it was known in antiquity as Kaine (Greek Καινή, meaning "new (city)"; ...
and Asyut
AsyutAlso spelled ''Assiout'' or ''Assiut'' ( ar, أسيوط ' , from ' ) is the capital of the modern Asyut Governorate in Egypt. It was built close to the ancient city of the same name, which is situated nearby. The modern city is located at , ...
have the widest difference of temperatures between days and nights of any city in Egypt, with almost difference. Sohag is one of the warmest places in Egypt due to its location on the eastern side of Sahara
, photo = Sahara real color.jpg
, photo_caption = The Sahara taken by Apollo 17 astronauts, 1972
, map =
, map_image =
, location =
, country =
, country1 =
, ...
in North Africa. Sohag is ranked the 5th driest place in Egypt and the 9th globally. Also ranked 4th warmest place in Egypt and 296th globally.
Culture
Language
A version of the dialect continuum
A dialect continuum or dialect chain is a series of Variety (linguistics), language varieties spoken across some geographical area such that neighboring varieties are Mutual intelligibility, mutually intelligible, but the differences accumulat ...
of Saidi Arabic
A Ṣa‘īdī (, Coptic: ⲣⲉⲙⲣⲏⲥ ''Remris'') is a person from Upper Egypt (, Coptic: ⲙⲁⲣⲏⲥ ''Maris'').
Etymology
The word literally means "from Ṣa‘īd" (i.e. Upper Egypt), and can also refer to a form of music orig ...
is spoken by the people of Sohag. Most urbanized people, however, may speak to varying degrees Egyptian Arabic
Egyptian Arabic, locally known as Colloquial Egyptian ( ar, العامية المصرية, ), or simply Masri (also Masry) (), is the most widely spoken vernacular Arabic dialect in Egypt. It is part of the Afro-Asiatic language family, and o ...
.
Museums
The Sohag Museum
Sohag ( , ), also spelled as ''Sawhāj'', ''Suhag'' and ''Suhaj'', is a city on the west bank of the Nile in Egypt. It has been the capital of Sohag Governorate since 1960, before which the capital was Girga and the name of the governorate was ...
contains about 5,000 artifacts gathered from around the Sohag governorate, including items stretching from the Middle Kingdom to Greco-Roman times.[
]
Bazaars
Souq el-Qisareya: The bazaar in Sohag is named suq Qaiṣarīya and is partly covered.
Souq el-Itnein is a weekly market held every Monday morning; vegetables, fruits, animals and traditional hand made objects (like baskets, farming axes and bags) are sold there. The weekly market is believed to have originated during the Ancient Egyptian era. The souq is now in the south of the city and is held in the streets and beside the city cemetery.[
]
Transport
Sohag is linked to Giza
Giza (; sometimes spelled ''Gizah'' arz, الجيزة ' ) is the second-largest city in Egypt after Cairo and fourth-largest city in Africa after Kinshasa, Lagos and Cairo. It is the capital of Giza Governorate with a total population of 9.2 ...
and northern cities by the road of Asyut
AsyutAlso spelled ''Assiout'' or ''Assiut'' ( ar, أسيوط ' , from ' ) is the capital of the modern Asyut Governorate in Egypt. It was built close to the ancient city of the same name, which is situated nearby. The modern city is located at , ...
Western Desert, Eastern Desert Road and Rural Road, which also connects it to the railways.
In February 2010, a highway linking Sohag to the Red Sea
The Red Sea ( ar, البحر الأحمر - بحر القلزم, translit=Modern: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar, Medieval: Baḥr al-Qulzum; or ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϩⲁϩ ''Phiom Enhah'' or ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲣⲓ ''Phiom ǹšari''; T ...
city Hurghada
Hurghada (; ar, الغردقة ', ) is a city in the Red Sea Governorate of Egypt. It is one of the country's main tourist centres located on the Red Sea coast.
Overview
Hurghada was founded in the early 20th century. For many decades it wa ...
was opened to ease movement between Upper Egypt
Upper Egypt ( ar, صعيد مصر ', shortened to , , locally: ; ) is the southern portion of Egypt and is composed of the lands on both sides of the Nile that extend upriver from Lower Egypt in the north to Nubia in the south.
In ancient ...
and the Red Sea coastal region. In May 2010, the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni El Sayed Mubarak, (; 4 May 1928 – 25 February 2020) was an Egyptian politician and military officer who served as the fourth president of Egypt from 1981 to 2011.
Before he entered politics, Mubarak was a career officer in t ...
inaugurated Sohag International Airport
Sohag International Airport''( ar, مطار سوهاج الدولي) is an Egyptian International airport serving the city of Sohag, capital of the Sohag Governorate of Egypt. The airport is south of the city. The airport is a new establishment ...
.
Education
Educational establishments in Sohag include:
Primary schools:
*Al-Nasr school
*Huda Sharawi school
*Mulhaqat Al-Mu'allemat school
Middle schools:
*Ahmad Deifalla school
*Nabawi Muhandis school
*Ali Osman Baltak school
*Tarik Ibn Ziad school
High schools:
*Sohag Military school
*Abdelmunim Riad school
*Asmaa Bint Abi Bakr school
* Hag Hadad school
University
Sohag University
Sohag University ( ar, جامعة سوهاج) is a public university in Egypt. It is located in Sohag, on the eastern bank of the Nile
The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin language, Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river ...
is a public university with more than 40,000 students located on the eastern side of the city. It was established under the banner of South Valley University
South Valley University (SVU) is in Egypt and provides teaching and research facilities.
The President of South Valley University is Prof. Dr. Youssuf Gherbawy.
One of the country’s more modern higher education institutions, Egypt’s Sout ...
but became independent in 2006. There are currently ten colleges in Sohag University.
Sports
The most popular sport in Sohag is Association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
. Sohag has many football clubs, including 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 ...
(EPL) team Sohag FC. In addition, EPL club has El Gouna FC
El Gouna Football Club ( ar, نادي الجونة لكرة القدم), is an Egyptian association football club based in El Gouna, Hurghada, Egypt. The club currently plays in the Egyptian Premier League, the highest league in the Egyptian foot ...
used Sohag stadium as a home ground at times.
Notable people
Notable people who originate from or live in Sohag include:
* 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 ...
, The first pharaoh
Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian: ''pr ꜥꜣ''; cop, , Pǝrro; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') is the vernacular term often used by modern authors for the kings of ancient Egypt who ruled as monarchs from the First Dynasty (c. 3150 BC) until the an ...
of unified Egypt and the founder of the Early Dynastic Period (c. 32nd century BC).
* Sheikh Mohamed Siddiq El-Minshawi
Muhammad Siddiq Al-Minshawi ( ar, محمد صديق المنشاوي; – ), known simply as Al-Minshawi, was an Egyptian Quranic reciter and Hafiz. Al-Minshawi was born into a Quranic family, with his brother, father, grandfather become f ...
, one of the most renowned Qur'anic reciters of all the Islamic world
The terms Muslim world and Islamic world commonly refer to the Islamic community, which is also known as the Ummah. This consists of all those who adhere to the religious beliefs and laws of Islam or to societies in which Islam is practiced. In ...
.
* Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy
Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy ( ar, محمد سيد طنطاوي; 28 October 1928 – 10 March 2010), also referred to as ''Tantawi'', was an influential Islamic scholar in Egypt. From 1986 to 1996, he was the Grand Mufti of Egypt. In 1996, preside ...
, Former Imam
Imam (; ar, إمام '; plural: ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, lead prayers, ser ...
of Al-Azhar
Al-Azhar Mosque ( ar, الجامع الأزهر, al-Jāmiʿ al-ʾAzhar, lit=The Resplendent Congregational Mosque, arz, جامع الأزهر, Gāmiʿ el-ʾazhar), known in Egypt simply as al-Azhar, is a mosque in Cairo, Egypt in the historic ...
.
* Rifa'a el-Tahtawi
Rifa'a at-Tahtawi (also spelt Tahtawy; ar, رفاعة رافع الطهطاوي, ; 1801–1873) was an Egyptian writer, teacher, translator, Egyptologist and renaissance intellectual. Tahtawi was among the first Egyptian scholars to write about W ...
, writer, teacher, translator, Egyptologist, renaissance intellectual and founder of Madrasat al-Alsun (Tongues School).
* Mustafa al-Maraghi
Muhammad Mustafa al-Maraghi ( ar, محمد مصطفى المراغي; 5 March 1881 – 22 August 1945) was an Egyptian reformer and rector of Al-Azhar from El Maragha, Sohag Governorate.
Al-Maraghi was active in encouraging reforms within legal ...
, reformer and rector of Al-Azhar Mosque
Al-Azhar Mosque ( ar, الجامع الأزهر, al-Jāmiʿ al-ʾAzhar, lit=The Resplendent Congregational Mosque, arz, جامع الأزهر, Gāmiʿ el-ʾazhar), known in Egypt simply as al-Azhar, is a mosque in Cairo, Egypt in the historic ...
.
* Mohammed Aboul-Fotouh Hassab
Mohammed Aboul-Fotouh Hassab was an Egyptian gastro-intestinal surgeon. He is known for the description of his operation Hassab's decongestion operation for the treatment of oesophageal varices as a result of portal hypertension
Portal hyperten ...
, gastro-intestinal surgeon.
* Gamal El-Ghitani
Gamal al-Ghitani, ( ar, جمال الغيطانى, ; 9 May 1945 – 18 October 2015) was an Egyptian author of historical and political novels and cultural and political commentaries and was the editor-in-chief of the literary periodical ''Akhba ...
, author of historical novels and cultural and political commentaries.
* Atef El-Tayeb
Atef El-Tayeb ( ar, عاطف الطيب ) (26 December 1947 – 23 June 1995) was an Egyptian film director.
Alternative transliterations of his name are: ''Atef Al-Tayeb'' and ''Attef El Taieb''.
His films often depicted the struggles of ...
, film director.
* George Sidhom
George Sidhom ( ar, جورج سيدهم; 28 May 1938 – 27 March 2020), was a veteran Egyptian comedian.
Early life
George Sidhom was born in Sohag, Egypt on 28 May 1938 and married Linda Makram, who is a pharmacist with whom he remained unti ...
, film actor.
* Emad Hamdy
Emad Hamdy ( ar, عماد حمدي, ; November 25, 1909 – January 28, 1984) was an Egyptian actor. He was married to the Egyptian actress Shadia between 1953 and 1956. And between 1962 and 1975 he was married to the Egyptian actress Nadia E ...
, Film actor.
* Baligh Hamdi
Baligh Hamdi ( arz, بليغ حمدى ; 7 October 1931 – 12 September 1993) was an Egyptian composer who created and composed many hit songs for several Middle Eastern singers, especially during the 1960s and 1970s. He composed Warda's mos ...
, composer who created hit songs for many prominent Arabic singers.
* Dhul-Nun al-Misri
Dhūl-Nūn Abū l-Fayḍ Thawbān b. Ibrāhīm al-Miṣrī ( ar, ذو النون المصري; d. Giza, in 245/859 or 248/862), often referred to as Dhūl-Nūn al-Miṣrī or Zūl-Nūn al-Miṣrī for short, was an early Egyptian Muslim mystic a ...
, Sufi
Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
saint considered the Patron Saint of the Physicians in the early Islamic era of Egypt .
* Jaber Abu Hussein, narrator of the Taghribat Bani Hilal
Al-Sirah al-Hilaliyyah (), also known as the Sirat Bani Hilal (سيرة بني هلال ''Sīra Banī Hilāl'') or the al-Hilali epic, is an Arabic epic
oral poem
that recounts the tale of the journey of the Bedouin tribe of the Banu Hilal fro ...
.
* Omar Taher
ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb ( ar, عمر بن الخطاب, also spelled Omar, ) was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr () as the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate ...
, writer and poet.
Nearby attractions
*Abydos Abydos may refer to:
*Abydos, a progressive metal side project of German singer Andy Kuntz
* Abydos (Hellespont), an ancient city in Mysia, Asia Minor
* Abydos (''Stargate''), name of a fictional planet in the '' Stargate'' science fiction universe ...
is one of the most ancient cities of Upper Egypt, and also of the eighth Upper Nome, of which it was the capital city. It is considered one of the most important archaeological sites of Ancient Egypt. The sacred city of Abydos was the site of many ancient temples, including a Umm el-Qa'ab
Umm El Qaʻāb (sometimes romanised Umm El Gaʻab, ar, أم القعاب) is a necropolis of the Early Dynastic Period kings at Abydos, Egypt. Its modern name means "Mother of Pots" as the whole area is littered with the broken pot shards of of ...
, a royal necropolis
A necropolis (plural necropolises, necropoles, necropoleis, necropoli) is a large, designed cemetery with elaborate tomb monuments. The name stems from the Ancient Greek ''nekropolis'', literally meaning "city of the dead".
The term usually im ...
where early pharaohs were entombed.
*Akhmim
Akhmim ( ar, أخميم, ; Akhmimic , ; Sahidic/Bohairic cop, ) is a city in the Sohag Governorate of Upper Egypt. Referred to by the ancient Greeks as Khemmis or Chemmis ( grc, Χέμμις) and Panopolis ( grc, Πανὸς πόλις and Π ...
has several mosques and two 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 ...
churches. It maintains a weekly market and manufactures cotton goods.
*El-Hawawish
El Hawawish ( ar, الحواويش) is the name given to the site of the ancient necropolis (cemetery) for the city of Akhmim in the Sohag Governorate, Egypt.
The cemetery was excavated extensively by an Australian archaeological and epigraphic ...
is the ancient necropolis (cemetery) for Akhmim.
*El-Salamuni
El Salamuni (, ''Psinemoun'') is a village in the Upper Egyptian Sohag Governorate. It is located northeast of the city of Akhmim.
Overview
El Salamuni comprises a rock-cut chapel dedicated to the god Min (god), Min. The edifice was created by ...
comprises a rock-cut chapel dedicated to the god Min
Min or MIN may refer to:
Places
* Fujian, also called Mǐn, a province of China
** Min Kingdom (909–945), a state in Fujian
* Min County, a county of Dingxi, Gansu province, China
* Min River (Fujian)
* Min River (Sichuan)
* Mineola (Amtrak ...
.
* The Meritamen statue in eastern Akhmim.
*Outside Beit Khallaf
Beit Khallaf (Arabic: بيت خلاف ) is a small rural village located 10 kilometers west of Girga in Upper Egypt. Beit Khallaf is part of the area known as the Hajer line, which is composed of three other villages: Beit Allam, Beit Khuraybi, an ...
are two large brick mastaba
A mastaba (, or ), also mastabah, mastabat or pr- djt (meaning "house of stability", " house of eternity" or "eternal house" in Ancient Egyptian), is a type of ancient Egyptian tomb in the form of a flat-roofed, rectangular structure with inwar ...
s from the Third Dynasty
The Third Dynasty of ancient Egypt (Dynasty III) is the first dynasty of the Old Kingdom. Other dynasties of the Old Kingdom include the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth. The capital during the period of the Old Kingdom was at Memphis.
Overview
Af ...
.
*The city Athribis
Athribis ( ar, أتريب; Greek: , from the original Egyptian ''Hut-heryib'', cop, Ⲁⲑⲣⲏⲃⲓ) was an ancient city in Lower Egypt. It is located in present-day Tell Atrib, just northeast of Benha on the hill of Kom Sidi Yusuf. The tow ...
is the site of a temple built for the goddess Repyt
Repyt, or Repit, was an ancient Egyptian goddess. Typically, she was portrayed as one of the lioness goddesses of Egypt. Her husband was Min.
In ancient times there was a town named Hut-Repyt, where her temple was sited. Later, the town was renam ...
( Triphis) by Ptolemy XV Caesarion
Ptolemy XV Caesar). (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος ; 23 June 47 BC – August 30 BC), nicknamed Caesarion (, "Little Caesar"), was the last pharaoh of Ptolemaic Egypt, reigning with his mother Cleopatra from 2 September 44 BC until her d ...
and subsequent Roman Emperors.
Photo gallery
File:Building in sohag.jpg, Building in Sohag
File:Roman Theatre Sohag.jpg, Roman theater
File:Tahtawy memorial sohag.jpg, Tahtawy memorial
File:Sohag city hall.jpg, Sohag city hall
File:Jumhoreya st sohag day.jpg, Jumhuriyea St.
File:Orouba sq.jpg, Orouba sq.
File:Sohag skyline.JPG, Skyline.
File:SohagGaziratZuhur.jpg, Jazirat Al Zohour .
File:Sohag nile.jpg, Nile view (east bank)
File:Sohag courts complex.jpg, Courts compound
File:Midan oprah.jpg, Downtown
File:Nile sohag.jpg, Nile view from Akhmim bridge
See also
* List of cities and towns in Egypt
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
* Upper Egypt
Upper Egypt ( ar, صعيد مصر ', shortened to , , locally: ; ) is the southern portion of Egypt and is composed of the lands on both sides of the Nile that extend upriver from Lower Egypt in the north to Nubia in the south.
In ancient ...
* Sa'idi people
A Ṣa‘īdī (, Coptic: ⲣⲉⲙⲣⲏⲥ ''Remris'') is a person from Upper Egypt (, Coptic: ⲙⲁⲣⲏⲥ ''Maris'').
Etymology
The word literally means "from Ṣa‘īd" (i.e. Upper Egypt), and can also refer to a form of music orig ...
* Sa'idi Arabic
A Ṣa‘īdī (, Coptic: ⲣⲉⲙⲣⲏⲥ ''Remris'') is a person from Upper Egypt (, Coptic: ⲙⲁⲣⲏⲥ ''Maris'').
Etymology
The word literally means "from Ṣa‘īd" (i.e. Upper Egypt), and can also refer to a form of music orig ...
References
External links
*
Sohag on Wikivoyage
* Sohag photo album
{{Authority control
Cities in Egypt
Former populated places in Egypt
Governorate capitals in Egypt
Populated places in Sohag Governorate