Faiyūm (city) - Faiyūm (Stadt)

Water wheels in Madīnat el-Faiyūm
Madīnat el-Faiyūm · ‏مدينة الفيوم‎
Schedule · Crocodilopolis
GovernorateFaiyūm
Residents
315.940 (2006)
height
29 m
no tourist info on Wikidata: Add tourist information
location
Location map of Egypt
Reddot.svg
Faiyūm

The town el-Faiyum (also Madinat / MedinetFayoum, Fajyum, Fayyum, Arabic:مدينة الفيوم‎, Madīnat al-Faiyūm, „the city of al-Faiyūm“, Coptic: 'Ⲫⲓⲟⲙ / Ⲡⲉⲓⲟⲙ, Efiom / Peiom) is the administrative center in the governorate el-Faiyūm. In 2006 there were 317,000 inhabitants in the city.

background

location

The city of el-Faiyūm is located almost in the center of the depression of the same name el-Faiyūm. The city is about 130 kilometers southwest of Cairo located. The city is called by the Baḥr Yūsuf (Arabic:بحر يوسف‎, „Joseph's Canal“) Crossed. The ancient Crocodilopolis, the modern Kīmān Fāris (Arabic:كيمان فارس‎, „Riding hill“) Is part of the modern city.

history

Madīnat el-Faiyūm was the metropolis of el-Faiyūm from the beginning. Your ancient Egyptian name Schedule (Šdt, "Land formed by ditch"[1]) is the first time on a seal of the king Narmer, the last king of the so-called 0th dynasty.[2] The Greek historian Diodor wrote the founding of the city to the king Menes, the founder of the 1st Dynasty, on:[3][1]

“Others say that one of the old kings, named Menas, once fled into Lake Möris, pursued by his own dogs, and there he was miraculously carried over to the other bank by a crocodile. In order to show his gratitude to the animal for his salvation, he had built a town nearby, which he called the Crocodile City, introduced the divine worship of these animals in the country, and consecrated the lake to them so that they could feed there; It was there that he built a tomb for himself and a four-sided pyramid above it, and built the much-admired labyrinth. "

The city is considered to be the oldest city in Egypt and is one of the oldest cities in Africa.

The city became under the Greeks Crocodilopolis, the crocodile town, and later Arsinoë to Arsinoë II., the sister and wife Ptolemy ’II, called.

Since the 12th dynasty, the city flourished with the establishment of Baḥr Yūsuf and the cultivation of el-Faiyūm. The main gods revered were the crocodile and water god Sobek (Suchos), Horus and the king, who was revered as a local god Amenemhet III. The city played only a minor role politically, more an economic one. In Greek times around 100,000 people lived in it.[4]

The ruins of the ancient city were found in the Kīmān Fāris district.

As the center of a governorate, the city has experienced a political, economic and population boom since the 1950s. In 1878 and 1928 there were 25,800 people in the city[5] or 44,400 inhabitants[4]. In 1996 and 2006, the city had 261,000 and 316,000 inhabitants, respectively.[6]

orientation

The Baḥr Yūsuf crosses the city from east to west. In the city center, the Baḥr Sinnūris, the western one, and the Baḥr Tanhala both branch off to the north. Almost all sights are located a short distance from Baḥr Yūsuf, but on both sides of the river.

getting there

City map of el-Faiyūm

By train

El-Faiyūm is via a railway line from Cairo reachable from. The journey time is around three hours. The 1 El-Faiyūm train station(29 ° 18 ′ 32 ″ N.30 ° 50 '49 "E) is located in the city center.

In the street

By bus

El-Faiyūm can from Cairo (Bus stations ʿAbūd, el-Munīb in Gīza; service taxis from Mīdān Ramsīs, ʿOrabī, el-Munīb) or Beni Suef can be reached by buses. However, the final stops are not identical.

The 2 new train station(29 ° 17 ′ 55 ″ N.30 ° 50 ′ 13 ″ E) for buses and microbuses to Cairo and el-Giza is located in the south of the city. The 3 old bus station(29 ° 18 '36 "N.30 ° 51 ′ 6 ″ E) to Cairo was north of the Gamal-'Abd-el-Nasser mosque and north of the railway line. About 200 meters to the west is the 4 new bus station(29 ° 18 '35 "N.30 ° 50 '57 "E) after Beni Suef.

The buses run from Cairo and Beni Suef about every half hour. The journey from Cairo takes about two to three hours and costs LE 6 (as of 2010). The one from Beni Suef takes one hour and costs LE 2 (as of 2010).

A further journey to other cities and villages in el-Faiyūm such as Shakschūk is possible with service taxis. The train station is located on Shari Sadd el-ʿAlī north of the pottery market.

mobility

The road network is quite well developed. There are several bridges over the Baḥr Yūsuf in the urban area. Important bridges are located near the Qaitbay Mosque and the market.

Tourist Attractions

Pseudo-Obelisk Sesostris ’I.
Horus name Sesostris ’I. on one side

Buildings and monuments

  • 1  Four water wheels (‏سواق‎, Sawāq). The water wheels are the emblem of el-Faiyūm. Only they enable irrigation of the area and agriculture. About 3 kilometers north on the right (eastern) bank of the Baḥr Sinnūris there are seven more water wheels in several places.(29 ° 18 ′ 31 ″ N.30 ° 50 '42 "E)
  • 2  Abgīg (‏مسلة سنوسرت‎, Misallat Sinusrit) (in the center of a roundabout on Mīdān el-Misalla (Arabic:ميدان المسلة‎, „Obelisk Square“)). The obelisk is from Abgīg, consists of rose granite, is 12.9 meters high and 3.6 meters wide at the base. The obelisk tapers towards the top. Its upper end is rounded on the narrow sides. In the middle there is a recess for a figure of a falcon or another animal deity. The figure may have been made of metal. Sparse remains of inscriptions and depictions on the front name the royal statute Sesostris ’I and the gods Month-Re, Amun-Re, Ptah, Re-Harachte and other gods. The 14-column historical inscription is lost today. The inscriptions on the sides are easier to read and mention the royal names Sesostris ’I. (more in the article Abgīg).(29 ° 18 ′ 55 ″ N.30 ° 51 '9 "E)

Mosques

  • 3  Qaitbay mosque (‏جامع قايتباي‎, Ǧāmiʿ Qāitbāy). The mosque is the oldest in the city and was built under the Mamluk Sultan el-Ashraf Saif ed-Dīn Qāitbāy (Reign 1468–1496), probably built or renovated after 1476. The mosque is located south of the Baḥr Yūsuf. The main entrance to the mosque, a recessed gate, is on the south side. Ancient columns, some with Corinthian capitals, probably from Arsinoë were reused in the mosque. The two-arched bridge leads north of the mosque Chwand Aṣl Bāy, named after Qaitbay's wife, to the cemetery on the north side. The bridge is also under the name Qanṭarat Bāb el-Wadāʿ (Bridge of the Gate to Farewell) known.(29 ° 18 ′ 33 ″ N.30 ° 50 ′ 5 ″ E)
  • 4  Mosque of the Sheikh ʿAlī er-Rūbī (‏جامع الشيخ علي الروبي‎, Ǧāmiʿ al-Sheikh ʿAlī ar-Rūbī). The mosque, built in the 19th century, is located above the grave of the local saint Sheikh ʿAlī er-Rūbī, southeast of the Qaitbay Mosque.(29 ° 18 ′ 30 ″ N.30 ° 50 ′ 4 ″ E)
  • 5  Hanging mosque (‏الجامع المعلق‎, al-Ǧāmiʿ al-Muʿallaq). The mosque is located on the north side of Baḥr Yūsuf. The facade of the mosque on the north side is formed by five arches. The mosque itself is located above these arches, from which its name is derived.(29 ° 18 '32 "N.30 ° 50 ′ 16 ″ E)
  • 6  Nasser mosque (‏مسجد ناصر‎, Masǧid Nāṣir). The mosque was built in the 1960s.(29 ° 18 ′ 28 ″ N.30 ° 51 ′ 1 ″ E)

Churches

  • 7  Church of St. Virgin (‏كنيسة السيدة العذراء مريم‎, Kanīsat as-Saiyidat al-ʿAdhrāʾ Maryam). The church was built in the 1830s, on the altar screen wall is the year 1552 AM of the Coptic calendar (1836). The north altar is dedicated to the local saint Anba Abram (1829–1914), Bishop of Faiyūm and Gīza. In the central dome, Jesus, the four evangelists, and the priests of the Old Testament, Melchizedech and Aaron, are depicted.(29 ° 18 ′ 21 ″ N.30 ° 50 ′ 9 ″ E)
  • 8  Catholic Church (‏كنيسة الكثوليك‎, Kanīsat al-Kathūlīk) (29 ° 18 ′ 18 ″ N.30 ° 50 ′ 33 ″ E)
  • 9  Anglican Church (‏كنيسة الإنجيلية‎, Kanīsat al-Inǧīlīya) (29 ° 18 ′ 19 ″ N.30 ° 50 ′ 27 ″ E)

activities

Cinema and theater

The is located southeast of the train station, next to the Nasser Mosque 1 Palace of Culture(29 ° 18 ′ 30 ″ N.30 ° 50 ′ 50 ″ E), Arabic:قصر الثقافة‎, Qaṣr ath-Thaqāfa, with cinema, theater and library.

Festivals (Mūlids)

In the middle of the month of Shaban there is the birthday festival (Mūlid) of the local saint Sheikh ʿAlī er-Rūbī instead of. In the fasting month of Ramaḍān, the Mūlid becomes the Sheikha Maryam committed at her grave. On the new moon before Ramaḍān, to er-Ruʾya (Arabic:الرؤية), Finds one procession at the Nasser Mosque.

shop

  • Covered market Sūq el-Qanṭara, 500 meters northeast of the Church of St. Virgin. The market is intended for locals, so that although there are hardly any souvenirs to be found here, one gets all the more an impression of everyday life. In the street that connects the market to the church in the south, the Schāriʿ eṣ-Ṣāgha, there are several, often Coptic, jewelry stores.
  • Tuesdays are on the Pottery market in the Shariʿ Mudaris, northeast of the Hanging Mosque, in the area of ​​the Muslim cemetery, produce, among other things en-Nazla sold.
  • Friday mornings take place in the same place as the pottery market Farmers market instead of.

kitchen

  • 1  Hassouna (‏مطعم حسونة تلوث‎, Maṭʿam Ḥasūna Taluth), El Sadd el Ali St. (at the four water wheels). Egyptian cuisine.(29 ° 18 ′ 33 ″ N.30 ° 50 ′ 41 ″ E)
  • 2  Kalbaz (‏مطعم قلبظ‎, Maṭʿam Qalbaẓ), El-Nadi St.. (29 ° 18 '53 "N.30 ° 50 ′ 27 ″ E)
  • El-Kebabgi, El-Dahdoura St. Egyptian cuisine.
  • Khidiwy, El-Dahdoura St.
  • Milano (at the four water wheels). Juices and ice cream.
  • Nadi el-Muhafaza (Governorate Club), El-Nadi St. (East side of the stadium).
  • Omar Khayam, El Sadd el Ali St. (at the four water wheels). Tea house.
  • Sa'id (Bahr Sinuris junction, east side). Kosheri.
  • Yamal el-Sham, El-Nadi St..

There is also a restaurant in the Queen Hotel. Alcohol is only available in the Honey Day Hotel.

nightlife

accommodation

Easy

  • 1  Honey Day Hotel (‏فندق الهاني دي‎, Funduq al-Hānī Dai), 105 Gamal Abdel Nasser St. (near the bus stop to Cairo). Tel.: 20 (0)84 (0)84 634 0105, (0)84 634 1205, Fax: 20 (0)84 634 0105. 2-star hotel with 25 mostly two-bed rooms. The hotel is the only one that serves alcohol in the bar. But it is also known for the presence of prostitutes.(29 ° 18 '42 "N.30 ° 50 '59 "E)
  • Montazah, 6 Ismail el-Medany St., Munsha'at Lotfallah. Tel.: 20 (0)84 634 8662. Hotel with 20 rooms.
  • 2  Teacher's hotel (Teacher's club). Hotel with 20 rooms.(29 ° 18 '53 "N.30 ° 50 ′ 23 ″ E)
  • Palace, Horriya St. (south of the Bahr Yusuf, east of the post office). Tel.: 20 (0)84 631 1222, (0)84 633 3641. Simple hotel with 25 rooms, some rooms with bath.

medium

Further accommodation options are available on the south bank of the Qārūn Lake near Shakshuk, in Tūnis and in ʿAin es-Sīlīyīn. There are tent sites in Wādī er-Raiyān and in Valley of the Whales.

Learn

  • Fayoum University (‏جامعة الفيوم‎, Ǧāmiʿat al-Faiyūm)

security

health

Practical advice

Tourist information

The tourist information is located in the government building, Tel .: 20 (0) 84 634 2313, 634 3044, Fax: 20 (0) 84 634 2586. It is open every day except Friday from 09:30 to 15:00 O'clock open.

Tourist Police

The tourist police can be reached on (0) 84 630 7298.

Banks

Most of the banks in the city center have ATMs.

trips

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ 1,01,1Morenz, Siegfried: Traditions around Menes: Contributions to the traditional method in Egyptology II. In:Journal of Egyptian Language and Antiquity (ZÄS), vol.99,1 (1972), Pp. X-XVI, especially p. XIII.
  2. ↑Petrie, W [illiam] M. Flinders; Wainwright, G [erald] A [veray]; Gardiner, A [lan] H [enderson]: Tarkhan I and Memphis V. London: School of Archeology in Egypt, Univ. College, 1913, British School of Archeology in Egypt and Egyptian Research Account; 23 = Year 19.1913. Plate 2, No. 4.
  3. ↑Diodorus, book 1, § 89.Quote from: Wurm, Julius Friedrich: Diodor’s of Sicily historical library. Stuttgart: Slaughterer, 1827, Greek prose writers in new translations; 20th, P. 138 f., 1st vol.
  4. ↑ 4,04,1Baedeker, Karl: Egypt and the Sûdan: Handbook for Travelers. Leipzig: Baedeker, 1928 (8th edition), P. 196 f.
  5. ↑Baedeker, Karl: Egypt: Handbook for Travelers; Part 2: Upper Egypt and Nubia to the Second Cataract. Leipzig: Baedeker, 1891, P. 8 f.
  6. ↑Population according to the Egyptian census, Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics, accessed November 7, 2014.
Usable articleThis is a useful article. There are still some places where information is missing. If you have something to add be brave and complete them.