Sohag

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Sohag (

Sohag lies on a fertile agricultural plain on the western bank of the Nile,^[9] approximately 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) southwest of Akhmim. The city includes two islands; Karaman-ez-Zahur Island is larger and uninhabited, and ez-Zahur Island (جزيرة الزهور, Ǧazīrat az-Zuhur, "Flower Island") has some homes.

Economy

The city Sohag of itself encloses only a few archaeological sites, hence tourism represents but a small portion of the city's income. Other sources of income include trade, small industries of carpets, furniture, spinning and weaving and sugar. Administrative and educational services are two big sectors of income.

Demographics

Religion

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Islam and Christianity are the main religions in Sohag; about 75% of the population are Muslim.^{[citation needed]}.

Historical sites

Mosques

• Sidi Arif Mosque (Arabic: مسجد العارف بالله, Masjid al-ʿArif bi-Allah). The mosque is located in the south of the city. The el-ʿArif Mosque was built in the 14th century—the 8th century in the Islamic calendar. The present building was constructed around 1995. At the corners of the façade are two minarets and the roof is crowned by a dome. Inside the five-nave mosque the bases of the piers and the walls were lined with red granite. The ceiling is painted ornamentally; in its middle is an elongated light dome. The southeastern half is lit by chandeliers. At the end are the prayer niche (mihrab) with simple ornaments and to the right of it the wooden pulpit (minbar).

• El-Farshuti Mosque (Arabic: جامع الفرشوطي, Jāmʿi al-Farschūṭī), also named el-'Atiq Mosque (the old mosque) is located approximately 350 metres (1,150 feet) southwest of the
  Qur'an
  . The bases of the walls are painted yellow and white with green bands. A very colorful prayer niche next to the wooden pulpit is located at the southeastern side.

In the masonry on the eastern, southern and western sides are stones engraved with historical inscriptions moved from previous buildings, including a decree of the penultimate

Churches

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Sohag has two important churches that were erected in the 20th century: the Church of the Holy Virgin and the Church of Saint George.

• The Church of the Holy Virgin (Arabic: كنيسة السيدة العذراء, Kanīsat as-Saiyida al-ʿAdraʾ). The church is located in the north of the bazaar (souq Qaiṣarīya). It consists of five naves. There are three sanctuaries for Saint George (left), the Holy Virgin and the Archangel Michael at the ends of the middle three naves. All sanctuaries are completely screened by a wooden iconostasis. On both sides of the entrances to the sanctuaries are wooden icons of the Holy Virgin and Jesus. The Lord's Last Supper and the crosses are located above the iconstasis. The presentation in the central nave is framed by a fish and a pigeon; the other ones are framed by angels and a dove. Galleries are located above the aisles and the entrance. On the walls are paintings of saints and scenes from the life of Jesus.

• Church of St. George is the cathedral of the diocese of Sohag (Arabic: كنيسة مار جرجس, Kanīsat Mar Girgis). The church is located 300 metres (980 feet) north of the Opera (Midan Obira) or Culture Square (Midan eth-Thaqafa).
• Church of the Archangel Michael (Arabic: كنيسة الملاك ميخائيل). The church is located in Railway Station Street (El-Mahatta Street) on the eastern side of the railway tracks.

Monasteries

White Monastery

The Coptic White Monastery is a

The Red Monastery is a

Temples and cemeteries

Sohag is the site of a temple built for the goddess

• The Courts Compound of Sohag
• City Hall of Sohag
• Sohag University
• Sohag Teaching Hospital, one of the biggest hospitals of the region
• Multiple governmental directorates
• Many recreational areas including The Sohag Stadium and many parks including Al Zohour, a revitalized island park located in the middle of the Nile.
• Nasr City, the first satellite city to be built in the East District. It was established during the presidency of Gamal Abdel Nasser.

Climate

The

in North Africa. Sohag is ranked the 5th driest place in Egypt and the 9th globally. Also ranked 4th warmest place in Egypt and 296th globally.

Climate data for Sohag
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	30.8 (87.4)	37.5 (99.5)	42.2 (108.0)	43.9 (111.0)	47.4 (117.3)	47.9 (118.2)	47.0 (116.6)	43.4 (110.1)	44.4 (111.9)	43.1 (109.6)	37.0 (98.6)	33.3 (91.9)	47.9 (118.2)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	22.0 (71.6)	23.8 (74.8)	27.5 (81.5)	33.6 (92.5)	37.7 (99.9)	39.6 (103.3)	38.8 (101.8)	37.8 (100.0)	36.0 (96.8)	33.7 (92.7)	28.2 (82.8)	23.5 (74.3)	31.9 (89.4)
Daily mean °C (°F)	13.9 (57.0)	15.6 (60.1)	18.9 (66.0)	24.5 (76.1)	29.1 (84.4)	30.7 (87.3)	31.0 (87.8)	29.9 (85.8)	27.9 (82.2)	25.1 (77.2)	19.8 (67.6)	15.4 (59.7)	23.5 (74.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	7.3 (45.1)	8.8 (47.8)	11.8 (53.2)	16.6 (61.9)	21.1 (70.0)	23.1 (73.6)	24.1 (75.4)	23.1 (73.6)	20.6 (69.1)	17.8 (64.0)	13.0 (55.4)	9.2 (48.6)	16.4 (61.5)
Record low °C (°F)	0.4 (32.7)	2.6 (36.7)	3.3 (37.9)	7.7 (45.9)	11.5 (52.7)	15.7 (60.3)	17.6 (63.7)	18.0 (64.4)	15.9 (60.6)	11.4 (52.5)	4.8 (40.6)	2.6 (36.7)	0.4 (32.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	0 (0)	1 (0.0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	1 (0)
Average precipitation days	0.1	0.1	0.2	0.1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.2	0.7
Average relative humidity (%)	57	50	44	36	30	31	37	43	45	44	51	56	43.7
Source 1: NOAA[14]
Source 2: Climate Charts[15]

Culture

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Language

A version of the

The Sohag Museum contains about 5,000 artifacts gathered from around the Sohag governorate, including items stretching from the Middle Kingdom to Greco-Roman times.^[9][17]

Bazaars

Souq el-Qisareya: The bazaar in Sohag is named suq Qaiṣarīya and is partly covered.

Souq el-Itnein is a weekly market held every Monday morning; vegetables, fruits, animals and traditional hand made objects (like baskets, farming axes and bags) are sold there. The weekly market is believed to have originated during the Ancient Egyptian era. The

Sohag is linked to Giza and northern cities by the road of Asyut Western Desert, Eastern Desert Road and Rural Road, which also connects it to the railways.^[18]

In February 2010, a highway linking Sohag to the Red Sea city Hurghada was opened to ease movement between Upper Egypt and the Red Sea coastal region.^{[citation needed]} In May 2010, the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak inaugurated Sohag International Airport.^[19]

Education

Educational establishments in Sohag include: Primary schools:

• Al-Nasr school
• Huda Sharawi school
• Mulhaqat Al-Mu'allemat school

Middle schools:

• Ahmad Deifalla school
• Nabawi Muhandis school
• Ali Osman Baltak school
• Tarik Ibn Ziad school

High schools:

• Sohag Military school
• Abdelmunim Riad school
• Asmaa Bint Abi Bakr school
• Hag Hadad school

University

Sohag University is a public university with more than 40,000 students^[20] located on the eastern side of the city. It was established under the banner of South Valley University but became independent in 2006. There are currently ten colleges in Sohag University.

Sports

The most popular sport in Sohag is

• Narmer, The first pharaoh of unified Egypt and the founder of the Early Dynastic Period (c. 32nd century BC).
• Islamic world
  .
• Al-Azhar
  .
• Rifa'a el-Tahtawi
  , writer, teacher, translator, Egyptologist, renaissance intellectual and founder of Madrasat al-Alsun (Tongues School).
• Onsi Sawiris, Billionaire businessman
• Mustafa al-Maraghi, reformer and rector of Al-Azhar Mosque.
• Mohammed Aboul-Fotouh Hassab, gastro-intestinal surgeon.
• Gamal El-Ghitani
  , author of historical novels and cultural and political commentaries.
• Atef El-Tayeb
  , film director.
• George Sidhom, film actor.
• Emad Hamdy, Film actor.
• Baligh Hamdi, composer who created hit songs for many prominent Arabic singers.
• Sufi
  saint considered the Patron Saint of the Physicians in the early Islamic era of Egypt .
• Taghribat Bani Hilal
  .

Nearby attractions

• Umm el-Qa'ab, a royal necropolis where early pharaohs were entombed.^[22]
• Coptic
  churches. It maintains a weekly market and manufactures cotton goods.
• El-Hawawish
  is the ancient necropolis (cemetery) for Akhmim.
• El-Salamuni comprises a rock-cut chapel dedicated to the god Min
  .
• The Meritamen statue in eastern Akhmim.
• Outside
  Third Dynasty
  .
• The city
  Triphis) by Ptolemy XV Caesarion
  and subsequent Roman Emperors.

• 
  Building in Sohag
• 
  Roman theater
• 
  Tahtawy memorial
• 
  Sohag city hall
• 
  Jumhuriyea St.
• 
  Orouba sq.
• 
  Skyline.
• 
  Jazirat Al Zohour .
• 
  Nile view (east bank)
• 
  Courts compound
• 
  Downtown
• 
  Nile view from Akhmim bridge

See also

• List of cities and towns in Egypt

• Upper Egypt
• Sa'idi people
• Sa'idi Arabic

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sohag.

• (in German) Sohag on Wikivoyage
• Sohag on Travel grove
• Sohag photo album