Jirja

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 , which is also preserved in possibly corrupted and its alternative name Digirga.

Some Egyptologists such as Brugsch believe that the name of the city derives from the ancient Egyptian word ''grg miri-amoun Ramessou'' which means "The establishment of Ramesses II", although Daressy and Budge identify the name with Coptic Balyana near Abydos.

Through folk etymology the city became associated with St. George and a now non-existent monastery dedicated to him nearby, hence Leo Africanus calls it ''Giorgia'' and Pest suggests an older vocalisation ''Gurga''.

Overview

Girga was the capital of the Girga Governorate until 1960, when the capital was moved to Sohag and the name of the governorate changed accordingly. Girga has an estimated population of 71,564 (as of 1986) and has various economic industries which include cane sugar manufacturing and pottery.

History

The city was home and headquarters of the first Pharaoh of a unified Egypt, Narmer. As of today, it is unconfirmed to whether this is the site of the ancient city of This (Thinis) or the nearby village of Birba which was the capital of Egypt during the 1st and 2nd dynasties. Also neighbouring Girga is the ancient sites including Beit Khallaf, a necropolis where tourists can find mudbrick tombs dating back to the 3rd dynasty.

Girga was the capital of Upper Egypt during Ottoman rule.

In 1791, Saint Yousab El Abah (also Joseph el-Abbah) was the bishop of the city.

In 1907 Girga had a population of 19,893, of whom about one-third were Copts.

As lately as the middle of the 18th century the town stood a quarter of a mile from the river, but in the beginning of the 20th century it stood on the bank, the intervening space having been washed away, together with a large part of the town, by the stream continually encroaching on its left bank.

Places of worship

Mosques

* Chinese Mosque ()

The mosque was built in the historical by a historical district of Caesaria by a Mamluk amir Muhammad bey al-Faqari in 1117. Although it is called Chinese, no materials imported from China were used in its construction and it got its name after porcelain used in its decoration.

* Osman Bey Mosque ()
* Al-Fuqara Mosque ()
* Jalal Bey Mosque ()
* Al-Mitwalli Mosque ()

Churches and monasteries

* Monastery of Archangel Michael ()

Situated on the right bank of the Nile opposite of Girga. Since 1910 this site has been celebrated among archaeologists, because the discoveries made there have shed light on the region's prehistory.

* Church of Archangel Michael ()
* Church of Saint George ()
* Church of Theodore Tiron ()

Climate

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

See also

* Thinis
* List of cities in Egypt

References

External links

* Girga on Wikivoyage

Usepigraphy Stele Marble Relief
- Brown University

{{Sohag Governorate Markazes

Populated places in Sohag Governorate
Cities in Egypt