Girga

Girga

ⲧⲓⲛ?
جرجا
Girga ⲧⲓⲛ? جرجا
City
	Suq Market (left) - Mitwalli Mosque Entrance (right)
	Girga Location in Egypt
	Coordinates: 26°20′N 31°54′E / 26.333°N 31.900°ECoordinates: 26°20′N 31°54′E / 26.333°N 31.900°E
Country	Egypt
Governorate	Sohag
Population (2006)
• Total	102,701
Time zone	UTC+2 (EST)

Girga (Arabic: جرجا‎ pronounced [ˈɡeɾɡæ], Coptic: ⲧⲓⲛ Din?) is a city in the Sohag Governorate of Upper Egypt. It is located on the west bank of the Nile River.

Name[]

grg^[1]^[2]

Egyptian hieroglyphs

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",^[3] although Daressy and Budge identify the name with Coptic Balyana near Abydos.^[1]^[2]

grg mrj jmn rꜥmsw^[2]^[3]

Era: New Kingdom
(1550–1069 BC)

Egyptian hieroglyphs

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.^[4] Girga has an estimated population of 71,564 (as of 1986) 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.^{[citation needed]} 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 (Porcelain Mosque), 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 (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. The city has been known as Dgerja (Arabic: دجرجا‎) or Gerga (Arabic: جرجا‎) 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 (also Joseph el-Abbah) was the bishop of the city.

Climate[]

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

hideClimate data for Girga
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	22.3 (72.1)	24.3 (75.7)	28.1 (82.6)	33.5 (92.3)	36.9 (98.4)	38.3 (100.9)	37.9 (100.2)	38.1 (100.6)	34.9 (94.8)	32.4 (90.3)	28.8 (83.8)	23.8 (74.8)	31.6 (88.9)
Daily mean °C (°F)	13.7 (56.7)	15.3 (59.5)	18.7 (65.7)	23.9 (75.0)	27.8 (82.0)	29.5 (85.1)	29.5 (85.1)	29.9 (85.8)	27.7 (81.9)	25.1 (77.2)	20.4 (68.7)	15.5 (59.9)	23.1 (73.6)
Average low °C (°F)	5.1 (41.2)	6.1 (43.0)	9.4 (48.9)	14.3 (57.7)	18.7 (65.7)	20.8 (69.4)	21.2 (70.2)	21.8 (71.2)	20.5 (68.9)	17.9 (64.2)	12.2 (54.0)	7.3 (45.1)	14.6 (58.3)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	1 (0.0)	1 (0)
Source: Climate-Data.org^[5]

References[]

^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Wallis Budge, E. A. (1920). An Egyptian hieroglyphic dictionary: with an index of English words, king list and geological list with indexes, list of hieroglyphic characters, coptic and semitic alphabets, etc. Vol II. John Murray. p. 1049.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c Gauthier, Henri (1928). Dictionnaire des Noms Géographiques Contenus dans les Textes Hiéroglyphiques Dictionnaire des Noms Géographiques Contenus dans les Textes Hiéroglyphiques Dictionnaire des Noms Géographiques Contenus dans les Textes Hiéroglyphiques Vol. 5. pp. 217, 218.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Brugsch, Heinrich (1879). Dictionnaire géographique de l'ancienne Egypte: contenant par ordre alphabétique la nomenclature comparée des noms propres géographiques qui se rencontrent sur les monuments et dans les papyrus. J. C. Hinrichs. pp. 853–854.
^ Law, Gwillim (1999). Administrative Subdivisions of Countries: A Comprehensive World Reference, 1900 through 1998 (snippet view). Jefferson, NC: McFarland. p. 114. ISBN 978-0-7864-0729-3. Retrieved 2010-08-07.
^ "Climate: Girga - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved 14 August 2013.

External links[]

(in German) Girga on Wikivoyage
Usepigraphy Stele Marble Relief - Brown University

[Budge1049-1] Jump up to: ^a ^b Wallis Budge, E. A. (1920). An Egyptian hieroglyphic dictionary: with an index of English words, king list and geological list with indexes, list of hieroglyphic characters, coptic and semitic alphabets, etc. Vol II. John Murray. p. 1049.

[Gauthier217-2] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c Gauthier, Henri (1928). Dictionnaire des Noms Géographiques Contenus dans les Textes Hiéroglyphiques Dictionnaire des Noms Géographiques Contenus dans les Textes Hiéroglyphiques Dictionnaire des Noms Géographiques Contenus dans les Textes Hiéroglyphiques Vol. 5. pp. 217, 218.

[Brugsch853-3] Jump up to: ^a ^b Brugsch, Heinrich (1879). Dictionnaire géographique de l'ancienne Egypte: contenant par ordre alphabétique la nomenclature comparée des noms propres géographiques qui se rencontrent sur les monuments et dans les papyrus. J. C. Hinrichs. pp. 853–854.

[4] Law, Gwillim (1999). Administrative Subdivisions of Countries: A Comprehensive World Reference, 1900 through 1998 (snippet view). Jefferson, NC: McFarland. p. 114. ISBN 978-0-7864-0729-3. Retrieved 2010-08-07.

[5] "Climate: Girga - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved 14 August 2013.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

show v t List of cities and towns in Egypt
Cairo Governorate	Cairo
Giza Governorate	Giza, 6th of October City, Sheikh Zayed City, El Hawamdeya, El Badrashein, El Saff, Atfih, El Ayyat, Bawiti, , Awsim, Kerdasa,
Qalyubia Governorate	Benha, Qalyub, Shubra El Kheima, El Qanater El Khayreya, Khanka, Kafr Shukr, Toukh, Qaha, Obour City, Khusus, Shibin El Qanater
Alexandria Governorate	Alexandria, Borg El Arab, New Borg El Arab
Beheira Governorate	Damanhur, Kafr El Dawwar, Rosetta, Edku, Abu El Matamir, Abu Hummus, El Delengat, El Mahmoudiyah, El Rahmaniya, Itay El Barud, , , , , Wadi El Natrun, New Nubariya
Matrouh Governorate	Mersa Matruh, El Hamam, El Alamein, El Dabaa, El Negaila, Sidi Barrani, Sallum, Siwa Oasis
Damietta Governorate	Damietta, New Damietta, Ras El Bar, Faraskur, Kafr Saad, El Zarqa, Assarw, Arrawda, Kafr El Battikh, Ezbet El Borg, Mit Abu Ghaleb
Dakahlia Governorate	Mansoura, Talkha, Mit Ghamr, Dekernes, Aga, , El Senbellawein, El Kurdi, , El Manzala, Temay El Amdeed, , Sherbin, El Matareya, Belqas, , , , Nabaruh
Kafr El Sheikh Governorate	Kafr El Sheikh, Desouk, Fuwwah, Metoubes, Baltim, El Hamool, Biyala, El Reyad, Sidi Salem, Qallin, ,
Gharbia Governorate	Tanta, El Mahalla El Kubra, Kafr Az-Zayyat, Zefta, , , Basyoun, Sebennytos
Monufia Governorate	Shibin El Kom, Sadat (city), Menouf, , Ashmoun, El Bagour, Quesna, Birket El Sab, Tala, Shuhada
Sharqia Governorate	Zagazig, 10th of Ramadan (city), Minya El Qamh, Bilbeis, , , , El Qurein, Hihya, Abu Kebir, Faqous, El Salheya El Gedida, , , Kafr Saqr, , El Husseiniya, Tanis, Minshat Abu Omar
Port Said Governorate	Port Said, Port Fuad
Ismailia Governorate	Ismailia, Fayed, El Qantara, Tell El Kebir, Abu Suwir, Kassassin
Suez Governorate	Suez
North Sinai Governorate	Arish, Sheikh Zuweid, Rafah, Bir al-Abd, , Nekhel
South Sinai Governorate	El Tor, Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba, Taba, Saint Catherine, Abou Redis, Abu Zenima, Ras Sedr
Beni Suef Governorate	Beni Suef, , , Nasser, Heracleopolis Magna, Biba, , El Fashn
Faiyum Governorate	Faiyum, , Tamiya, Sinnuris, , Ibsheway,
Minya Governorate	Minya, New Minya, El Idwa, Maghagha, Beni Mazar, Matai, Samalut, Mallawi, Dir Mawas, Aba al-Waqf, Dir Mawas, Dalga, Bahnasa, Idmo, Tuna el-Gebel,
Asyut Governorate	Asyut, New Asyut, Dairut, Dayrut al-Sharif, Manfalut, El Quseyya, Abnub, Abu Tig, El Ghanayem, Sahel Selim, El Badari, Sidfa
New Valley Governorate	El Kharga, Baris, Mut, Farafra,
Red Sea Governorate	Hurghada, Ras Ghareb, Safaga, El Qoseir, Marsa Alam, Shalateen, Halayeb
Sohag Governorate	Sohag, , Akhmim, , El Balyana, El Maragha, Ptolemais Hermiou, Dar El Salam, Girga, , Saqultah, Tima, Tahta
Qena Governorate	Qena, , Abu Tesht, Nag Hammadi, Dishna, , Qift, Naqada, Qus,
Luxor Governorate	Luxor, , New Thebes, Zainiya, , Kurna, Armant, El-Tod, Esna
Aswan Governorate	Aswan, New Aswan, , Kom Ombo, , Kalabsha, Edfu, , , Sebaiya, Abu Simbel
Capital cities are in bold font.

show v t Sohag Governorate Regions
Regions	Akhmim El Balyana Dar El Salam Girga El Mansha El Maragha Sakulta Sohag Tahta Tima El Usayrat
Important sites	Abydos Beit Khallaf El Hawawish Hut-Repyt Aphrodito El Salamuni Tjebu
Monasteries and Mosques: Monastery of the Martyrs Red Monastery White Monastery Sidi Arif Mosque