Girga


Girga is a city in the Sohag Governorate of Upper Egypt. It is located on the west bank of the Nile River.

Name

It is viewed by some Egyptologists such as Brugsch 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.

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 and has various economic industries which include cane sugar manufacturing and pottery. Near the city there is a monastery dedicated to St. George from which local folklore derives the name of the city. Also the city has another monastery, the el-Sini is reportedly the oldest Roman Catholic monastery ever built in Egypt. Girga has also been famed for its landscape, the beautiful paved Suq, and the el-Sini, which is reportedly the oldest known Roman Catholic monastery and was almost swept away by the Nile at one time.

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 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. The city has been known as Dgerja or Gerga in medieval times. At one time, it was the center of Ottoman rule in the South Egypt, one of the largest cities of the Ottoman Empire.
In 1791, Saint Yousab El Abah was the bishop of the city.

Climate

classifies its climate as hot desert.