Asyut Governorate

Asyut Governorate
Governorate

Flag

Asyut Governorate on the map of Egypt
Coordinates: 27°15′07″N 31°05′24″E / 27.252°N 31.09°E / 27.252; 31.09Coordinates: 27°15′07″N 31°05′24″E / 27.252°N 31.09°E / 27.252; 31.09
Country  Egypt
Seat Asyut (capital)
Government
 • Governor Ibrahim Hamad[1]
Population (2014)
 • Total 4,123,441
Time zone EET (UTC+2)

Asyut Governorate (Egyptian Arabic: محافظة أسيوط‎‎ Muḥāfẓet Asyut) is one of the governorates of Egypt. It stretches across the Nile. The capital of the governorate is the city of Asyut.[2]

Etymology

The name of Asyut is derived from early Egyptian Zawty (Z3JW.TJ), late Egyptian Səyáwt into Coptic Syowt.[3]

Population

According to population estimates from 2015 the majority of residents in the governorate live in rural areas, with an urbanization rate of only 26.5%. Out of an estimated 4,245,215 people residing in the governorate, 3,119,112 people live in rural areas as opposed to only 1,126,103 in urban areas. [4]

Demographics

Asyut governorate has a population of over 4 million people,with a significant Coptic presence. In 1914, it had the second largest proportion of Copts in Egypt, where they made up 20.7% of the population.[5] However it is likely that figure is underestimated, since the Church claims up to 48.5% while the remaining population are Sunni Muslims.[6][7] Evangelical (Protestant) religions had significant growth in some districts of Asyut, as evidenced in 1907 census data, where half of the citizens of a village were counted as Protestant Copts.[8] Muslims and Christians have lived together in Asyut and at times there have been clashes. In July 2013, a large number of Christians took to the streets to protest Muslim extremism in Asyut.[9] Whether Christian or Muslim, Asyut is home to a very conservative society and in October, 2016 Upper Egypt's first beauty pageant, which was to be held in Asyut, had to be canceled due to death threats and security issues. A very conservative society, which is Asyut, stopped the pageant.[10]

Cities

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:[11]

Important sites

Ancient quarries are an important feature of Asyut. There are about 500 rock-cut tombs and limestone quarries all around Asyut.[12]The governorate of Asyut includes the Ancient Egyptian tombs of Meir,[13] and the town of Durunka,[14] which is a pilgrimage site for many Copts who come to visit a monastery dedicated to the Virgin Mary.[15][16][17]

Notable residents

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Mansour appoints 20 new governors". Daily News Egypt. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  2. ↑ Hopkins, Daniel J. (1997). Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary (3rd ed.). Merriam Webster. ISBN 978-0877795469.
  3. ↑ Ancient Near Eastern History and Culture. Cram101 Textbook Reviews. 2016. ISBN 9781478438304. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  4. ↑ "Population Estimates By Sex & Governorate 1/1/2015" (PDF). CAPMAS. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  5. ↑ "Christians of the Middle East". Columbia University. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  6. ↑ "The Coptic Orthodox Church in action - Al-Ahram Weekly". weekly.ahram.org.eg. Retrieved 2016-02-18.
  7. ↑ Seng, Ph.D, Yvonne (2008). Men in Black Dresses: A Quest for the Future Among Wisdom-Makers of the Middle East. Simon & Shuster. p. 85. ISBN 9781439104569. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  8. ↑ Sharkey, Heather J. (2013). American Evangelicals in Egypt: Missionary Encounters in an Age of Empire. Princeton University Press. p. 73. ISBN 9781400837250. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  9. ↑ Thabet, Mamdouh; Hendawi, Hamza. "Christian Egyptians confront Muslim stronghold". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  10. ↑ Farouk, Menna A. (October 11, 2016). "Egypt Pulse - Threats drive out beauty pageant in Upper Egypt". Al Monitor. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  11. ↑ "Investment Regimes, Industrial Zones of Governorate". Ministry of Investment Egypt. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  12. ↑ Mostafa, Ashraf Aboul-Fetooh. Caves of the Nile Valley (Governorate of Assiut, Middle Egypt): a long-term interaction between human societies and their environment. Open Edition. p. 37.
  13. ↑ Maspero, Gaston. History of Egypt, Chald_a, Syria, Babylonia and Assyria (Complete). Library of Alexandria. ISBN 9781465523808. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  14. ↑ Albera, Dionigi; Couroucli, Maria (2012). Sharing Sacred Spaces in the Mediterranean: Christians, Muslims, and Jews at Shrines and Sanctuaries. Indiana University Press. p. 169. ISBN 9780253223173.
  15. ↑ "The Convent of Virgin Mary - Assiut". YouTube. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  16. ↑ Meinardus, Otto (June 1, 1962). The Holy Family in Egypt. Coptic Net. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  17. ↑ Fouly, Mahmoud; Xue, Wang. "Virgin Mary's convent, monastery in Assiut eye witnesses of Holy Family's flee to Upper Egypt". Xinhua. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  18. ↑ Meinardus, Otto F. A. (September 1, 2006). Christians In Egypt: Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant Communities - Past and Present. American University in Cairo Press. ISBN 9781617972621. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  19. ↑ Hanna Fahmy Wissa, Assiout: the saga of an Egyptian family, 2000.
  20. ↑ "Ḥāfiẓ Ibrāhīm EGYPTIAN POET". Britannica. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  21. ↑ Stephens, Robert Henry (1972). Nasser: A Political Biography. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-671-21224-7.
  22. ↑ "Pope of Egypt's Coptic Christian Church dies". USA Today. March 17, 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2016.

External links

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