Sohag Governorate is one of the

governorates of Egypt Egypt has a centralised system of local government officially called local administration as it is a branch of the Executive. The country is divided into twenty-seven governorates ( '; ; genitive case: ; plural: '), the top tier of local a ...

. It is located in the southern part of the country (

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 E ...

), and covers a stretch of the

Nile Valley 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 ...

. Since 1960, its capital has been the city of

Sohag 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 ...

. Prior to that, the capital was the city of

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.

Overview

The rate of poverty is more than 60% in this governorate but recently some social safety networks have been provided in the form of financial assistance and job opportunities. The funding has been coordinated by the country's Ministry of Finance and with assistance from international organizations. In early 2019, some residents of the poorer villages of Sohag were able to move into their new homes built, in part, with aid from the

National Bank of Kuwait The National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) was founded in 1952. It is the largest financial institution in Kuwait. With branches and subsidiaries in China, Geneva, London, Paris, New York and Singapore. And a regional presence across the Middle East in ...

. There was a celebration for the completion of 115 homes where residents also received cattle and other gifts.

Archaeology

In April 2019, the archaeological mission of the Ministry of Antiquities led by

Mostafa Waziri Mostafa Waziri ( ar, مصطفى وزيري) is the secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities The Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) was a department of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture from 1994 to 2011. It was the government bo ...

uncovered a tomb of a nobleman called Toutou and his wife at Al-Dayabat archaeological site dating back to the Ptolemaic era. The tomb contained two tiny rooms with two

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms w ...

sarcophagi. Besides, well preserved mummy, mummified animals and birds including falcons, eagles, cats, dogs and shrews were also revealed in the tomb.

Municipal divisions

The governorate is divided into municipal divisions with a total estimated population as of July 2017 of 4,995,155. In the case of Sohag governorate, there are two new cities, five agsam and twelve marakiz. In some instances there is a markaz and a kism with the same name.

Population

According to population estimates, in 2015 the majority of residents in the governorate lived in rural areas, with an urbanization rate of only 21.4%. Out of an estimated 4,603,861 people residing in the governorate in 2015, 3,618,543 people lived in rural areas and 985,318 lived in urban areas.

Cities and towns

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 ...

( Ipu or

Khent-Min 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� ...

or Khemmis or Panopolis) *

Dar El Salam Dar el-Salam () is a small Upper Egyptian city near Akhmim. It is located on the east bank of the Nile, in the Sohag Governorate Sohag Governorate is one of the governorates of Egypt. It is located in the southern part of the country (Upper ...

* El Balyana * El Mansha * El Maragha * El Usayrat *

(

Tjeny 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 , ...

Thinis Thinis (Greek: Θίνις ''Thinis'', Θίς ''This'' ; Egyptian: Tjenu; cop, Ⲧⲓⲛ; ar, ثينيس) was the capital city of the first dynasties of ancient Egypt. Thinis remains undiscovered but is well attested by ancient writers, incl ...

) *

Juhayna The Juhaynah ( ar, جهينة, also transliterated as ''Djuhaynah'' and ''Johaynah'') are a nomad tribe of the Arabian Peninsula and the largest clan of Banu Quda'a. They are one of the most powerful Arabian tribes that rule important parts o ...

Sakulta Saqultah () is a small Upper Egyptian city near Akhmim. It is located on the east bank of the Nile, in the Sohag Governorate. Etymology Saqultah is one of the oldest villages in Egypt, originally named Saqiyat Qultah, or '' Saqiyas of Kollouth ...

* Tahta * Tima

Industrial zones

According to the Egyptian Governing Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI), in affiliation with the Ministry of Investment (MOI), the following industrial zones are located in this governorate: *Al Kawthar District *Al Ahaiwa *Beit Dawood, west of Gerga *West Of Tahta *(New urban community industrial zone) New Sohag

Important sites

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 ...

( Abedju) * Apollonos Polis (

Kom Isfaht Kom Isfaht (, from )is a town in the Upper Egyptian Asyut Governorate. It is located on the west bank of the Nile. It was a Roman village (Apollonopolites Heptakomias). During Muslim conquest, it was called kūra of Qahqawa. Overview Kom Isfah ...

) * Beit Khallaf *

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 ...

* El Salamuni * Gabal El Haridi * Hut-Repyt ( Athribis or Wannina) * Kom Ishqaw (

Aphrodito Per-Wadjet ( grc, Ἀφροδίτης πόλις or Ἀφροδιτώ; cop, or or ) was an Ancient Egyptian town in the 10th Upper Egyptian nome. The ancient town is identical with the modern village Kom Ishqau. Per-Wadjet is known from Egyp ...

) * Tjebu (

Djew-Qa Tjebu or Djew-Qa, was an ancient Egyptian city located on the eastern bank of the Nile in what is now Asyut Governorate, Egypt. In Greek and Roman Egypt, its name was Antaeopolis after its tutelary deity, the war god known by the Hellenized na ...

or Antaeopolis or Qaw el-Kebir) * Red Monastery * White Monastery *

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 ...

Notable people

* Imad Hamdi (actor) *

Hamdy Ahmed Hamdy Ahmed Mohamed Khalifa ( ar, حمدى أحمد محمد خليفة; 9 November 1933, Sohag, Egypt – 8 January 2016) was an Egyptian actor. He is known for his role as Mahjoub Abdel Dayem in the film '' Cairo 30'' (1966). Ahmed was a parl ...

(actor) * George Sidhum (actor)

References

External links

El Wattan News of Sohag GovernorateHopkins, Nicholas S., Directions of Change in Rural Egypt, Oxford University Press, 2004
{{Authority control Governorates of Egypt