Minya, Egypt

28.08666666666730.761388888889Koordinaten: 28 ° 5 ' N, 30 ° 46' O

Al- Minya (Arabic المنيا al - Minyā, Egyptian- Arabic il - Minyā ) is the provincial capital of the province al - Minyā in Central Egypt. The city is located 250 km south of Cairo on the western bank of the Nile and has about 220,000 inhabitants.

Cityscape

The plane- square -scale city extends between a wide groomed Niluferstraße ( Corniche ) in the east and the railway line in the west, which runs along an irrigation canal. Across the Channel to uniform residential areas and industrial areas expand. On the main axis between the station and the Nile Midan at- Tahrir is as a central city square. In the city center, entire streets were laid out with representative buildings according to European models of the time on a smaller scale, but similar in Cairo at the end of the 19th century. Most of the surviving buildings date from the early 20th century and show neoclassical, Art Deco and pseudo- Islamic style mix. Individual free standing building with official functions around the central square were protected monument restored. South of Midan at- Tahrir stretches from the old market district of narrow streets. The majority of the residential buildings are worth preserving in this neighborhood is located in a poor condition.

A large part of the inhabitants are Copts. A Coptic Church, which al - Lamati Mosque and the al - Umra Mosque located in the old town.

Economy

In Al - Minya perfume and soap are made. In the 19th century, it was a center of cotton production, which was organized by local Egyptian and Greek wholesalers. Cotton is still an export product, and there are flour mills and sugar refineries.

The airport is located near the western city limits; from the city center is a bridge over the Nile. Since 1979 is twinned with Hildesheim.

Political situation

Developed in the 1970s Islamist movement al - Jama ʿ a al - Islamiyya was formed, which was founded in al - Minya University in this time as in other Central and Upper Egyptian cities sororities. They criticized the end of the decade, then-President Anwar Sadat for his peace negotiations with Israel, after Sadat responded by restricting their political freedoms. Some of these Islamist groups radicalized in the sequence, particularly al - Minya and Asyut located 125 km south became centers of student insurgency. In the years 1992-1997 there were several attacks of operating from al - Minya Islamist groups. Student groups were partly to youth organizations of the Muslim Brotherhood. In the 1980s and 1990s, al - Minya was for tourists for security practically inaccessible, in 2008, tourists were still partially provided police protection to the side, although the political situation was several years earlier than reassured.

Minya is also the hometown of Saad al - Katatni, the head of the represented in the Egyptian parliament party of the Muslim Brotherhood. He had come over, organized by the Muslim Brotherhood social support services to popularity and in 2005 was elected to Parliament, where he represents a region that is respected by leaders of Lower Egypt little.

Environment

7 km south of the town is located on the eastern bank of the Nile, a large necropolis with tombs dome for Muslims and Christians, which is called al - Zawiyyat Mayyitīn ( Zawyet el- Maiyitin, "City of the Dead" ) and is one of the largest cemeteries in the country. In which you will find the base of a stepped pyramid from the 3rd dynasty is preserved.

20 km south on the east bank are also the ancient Egyptian rock-cut tombs of Beni Hasan.

Sons and daughters of the town

  • Mahmoud Abul Leil Rashid ( born 1935 ), former Minister of Justice
  • Saad al - Katatni (* 1952), secretary general of the Egyptian party of the Muslim Brotherhood
  • Mervat Anim ( born 1953 ), actress

Air table

39777
de