Shuhada, Egypt
Shuhada
الشهداء | |
---|---|
UTC+2 (EST ) |
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1996 | 219,494 | — |
2006 | 253,881 | +15.7% |
2019 | 358,486 | +41.2% |
Source: Citypopulation.de[1] |
Shuhada (
Name and history
The name "al-shuhada" means "the martyrs", referring to the presence of the shrines of martyrs of the
Nothing is known of Shuhada before the end of the Mamluk period. It had emerged as a local religious site by 916 AH (1510-11 CE), when rizaq registers mention it (under the name "Kafr al-Shuhada") as having an oratory and zawiya, with the term "zawiya" in this case presumably being used to refer to the tomb of Sidi Shibl. This is the earliest known veneration of Sidi Shibl's tomb. However, at this early stage, it was only a local religious center. Pilgrims are documented at this point coming from the neighboring village of Salamun, but not from further away. Moreover, contemporary hagiographies of the Tanta mawlid do not mention Shuhada or Sidi Shibl, indicating the local nature of its religious significance.[2]
The growth of Shuhada as a religious center dates to the first half of the 17th century. 17th century Egypt in general saw a booming interest in veneration of Sufi saints through mawlids and hagiographies, and Shuhada's growth as a pilgrimage site largely coincides with that trend. The Sufi saint Ahmad al-Ahmadi al-Misri, better known as
Shuhada prospered thereafter. As early as 1715, the larger town of Sirsina was called "Sirsina wa al-Shuhada", and by 1844, Shuhada had become a nahiyah (village), rather than the hamlet it had been in earlier periods. In 1846, the mosque was renovated at the behest of a local notable named Hasan Agha Sha'ir; the minister of waqf in Egypt designated it as rabi' II on 10 August 1899.[2]
The 1885 Census of Egypt recorded El-Shuhada as a nahiyah under the district of Menouf in Monufia Governorate; at that time, the population of the town was 2,873 (1,368 men and 1,505 women).[3]
In 1925, the minister of waqf had the mosque renovated again, as well as enlarged. In 1927, the mosque received a full inauguration which was attended by king Fu'ad I. In 1941, Shuhada became the district center (markaz), replacing Sirsina, which by now had become a village suburb of Shuhada.[2]
References
- ^ a b c "Ash-Shuhadā' (Markaz, Egypt)". Citypopulation.de. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
- ^ ISBN 3-89942-141-8.
- ^ Egypt min. of finance, census dept (1885). Recensement général de l'Égypte. p. 89. Retrieved 22 June 2020.