| Sohag | |
| Native Name: | سوهاج |
| Nickname: | Bride of the Nile |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Seal Size: | x |
| Pushpin Map: | Egypt |
| Pushpin Label Position: | bottom |
| Pushpin Mapsize: | 300 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Egypt |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Egypt |
| Subdivision Type1: | Governorate |
| Subdivision Name1: | Sohag |
| Subdivision Type2: | Markaz |
| Subdivision Name2: | Sohag Markaz |
| Leader Title: | Governor |
| Leader Name: | Dr/Tarik al-Faki |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Land Km2: | 9.03 |
| Population As Of: | 2021 |
| Population Total: | 266,944 |
| Population Rank: | 21st in Egypt |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 76500 |
| Population Metro: | 600,000 |
| Population Density Metro Km2: | auto |
| Population Density Metro Sq Mi: | auto |
| Population Demonym: | Sohagi, Sohagy |
| Population Density Blank1 Km2: | auto |
| Population Density Blank1 Sq Mi: | auto |
| Timezone: | EET |
| Utc Offset: | +2 |
| Timezone Dst: | EEST |
| Utc Offset Dst: | +3 |
| Coordinates: | 26.55°N 73°W |
| Elevation M: | 67 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | 82749[2] |
| Area Code Type: | Area code |
| Area Code: | +20 (93)[3] |
Sohag (pronounced as /arz/, pronounced as /aec/), also spelled as Suhag or Suhaj, is a city on the west bank of the Nile in Egypt.[4] [5] The city has been the capital of Sohag Governorate since 1960, before which the capital was Girga and the name of the governorate was Girga Governorate. The city also included Esna Governorate (nowadays part of Qena Governorate).[6] [7]
The modern city developed from the village of Suhay (or Sumay), the name of which eventually transformed into Suhaj,[8] and is located on the site of several ancient settlements, the largest of which is Bompae (; or).[9] The others include Tmupaie, Bay (possibly an Arabisation of the aforementioned "Paha") and Sawaqi .
Sohag lies on a fertile agricultural plain on the western bank of the Nile,[10] approximately 6km (04miles) 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.
See main article: Climate of Egypt.
The Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies Sohag's climate as hot desert (BWh). Luxor, Minya, Sohag, Qena and Asyut have the widest difference of temperatures between days and nights of any city in Egypt, with almost difference. Sohag is one of the warmest places in Egypt due to its location on the eastern side of Sahara in North Africa. Sohag is ranked the 5th driest place in Egypt and the 9th globally. It is ranked the 4th warmest place in Egypt and 296th globally.
| 1928 | 1976 | 1986 | 1996 | 2006 | 2012 | 2018 | 2021 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20,760[11] | 101,758 | 132,965 | 170,125 | 189,695 | 201,339 | 248,174 | 266,944 | ||
| Starting in 1928: Population of Sohag City[12] | |||||||||
Sohag is informally divided into the East District (Arabic: حى شرق) and the West District (Arabic: حي غرب). Among the most notable regions of the West District are:
The East District is considered a more upscale district; it includes some of the most affluent neighborhoods of the city including 15th Street, Al Kashef Street, Jumhuriya Street, The Courts Compound, and The Technical and Agricultural Schools. Some of the most notable locales of the East District include:
The city of Sohag itself encloses only a few archaeological sites, hence tourism represents only a small portion of the city's income. Other sources of income include trade and small industries. Also the administrative and educational services are two big sectors of income.
The city itself is surrounded by rural areas with fertile land along the Nile, agriculture is a cornerstone of the economy. Key crops include wheat, maize, garlic, and oil crops like peanuts. Beekeeping and livestock raising are also important supplementary income sources for households.[13]
Small-scale industries form a significant part of the local economy, particularly in the production of carpets, furniture, spinning and weaving, and sugar. Akhmim, a city within the Sohag governorate, is particularly known for its weaving and embroidery. Recent government initiatives are focused on boosting industrial growth in priority sectors like engineering, chemicals, and food processing, including the establishment of industrial complexes like the one in West Girga.[14]
Administrative and educational services, along with trade, are major sectors providing income and employment.Tourism: Tourism currently represents only a small portion of the city's income, as the city itself encloses relatively few major archaeological sites.[15]
A version of the dialect continuum of Saidi Arabic is spoken by the people of Sohag. Most urbanized people, however, may speak to varying degrees Egyptian Arabic.[16]
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.[10] [17]
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 souq is now in the south of the city and is held in the streets and beside the city cemetery.[10]
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 Mamluk sultan al-Ghawri (1441–1516) from the year 1506 (911 AH) on the southeastern side.
Sohag has two important churches that were erected in the 20th century: the Church of the Holy Virgin and the Church of Saint George.
See main article: White Monastery.
The Coptic White Monastery is a Coptic Orthodox monastery named after Saint Shenouda the Archimandrite. It is located about 5km (03miles) west of Sohag. The monastery's name is derived from the color of the white limestone in its outside walls. The surviving building is the church of what was once a much larger monastery complex.[18]
See main article: Red Monastery.
The Red Monastery is a Coptic Orthodox monastery named after an Egyptian saint called Pishay. It is located about 5km (03miles) north of the White Monastery. The monastery's name is derived from the color of the construction material of its outside walls, consisting of red (burnt) brick. The walls are considerably thicker at the base than at the top and, like the walls of Ancient Egyptian temples, they are surmounted by cavetto moldings. The Red Monastery is architecturally similar to the White Monastery.[18]
Sohag is the site of a temple built for the goddess Repyt (Triphis) by Ptolemy XV Caesarion and subsequent Roman emperors. South of this temple was an earlier temple of Ptolemy IX Soter II (see also Athribis Project). One of the nearby tombs of the brothers Ibpemeny "the younger" and Pemehyt of the late second century BC, has two zodiacs on its ceiling.[19]
The most popular sport in Sohag is Association football. Sohag has many football clubs, including the Egyptian Premier League (EPL) team Sohag FC. In addition, EPL club has El Gouna FC used Sohag stadium as a home ground at times.[20]
See main article: Sohag International Airport.
Sohag International Airport serves as the primary international airport of the city of Sohag. Opened in 2010, the airport caters to passengers from Sohag and areas nearby to international flights and domestic flights.[21]
The train is a popular and comfortable way to travel between Sohag and other key cities along the Nile. The journey from Sohag to Cairo takes approximately 7 hours, while a trip to Luxor takes less than 3 hours. Tickets and schedules can be found through Egyptian Railways or third-party booking sites.
Several private bus companies operate modern, air-conditioned coaches with amenities like Wi-Fi and extra legroom. Major operators include Superjet, Go Bus, Blue Bus, and Horus Transport. Buses are often the most affordable option for long-distance travel. 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.[22]
Minibus is the primary means of getting around the city and connect different parts of Sohag. Taxi is common, but they generally lack meters. Fares are typically fixed based on whether one crosses the Nile River.
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.[23] [24]
| City | Distance (km) | |
|---|---|---|
| Alexandria | 692 | |
| Port Said | 691 | |
| Ismaïlia | 616 | |
| Suez | 605 | |
| Cairo | 471 | |
| Aswan | 428 | |
| Luxor | 205 | |
| Asyut | 98 |
Educational establishments in Sohag include:
Sohag University is a public university with more than 40,000 students[25] 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.
Notable people who originate from or live in Sohag include:
