Kafr El Sheikh كَفرُ الشَّيْخ Kafr esh-shekh | |
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 Kafr El Sheikh in theKafr El Sheikh Governorate of Egypt | |
  Kafr El Sheikh Location in Egypt | |
| Coordinates:31°06′42″N30°56′45″E / 31.11167°N 30.94583°E /31.11167; 30.94583 | |
| Country |  Egypt |
| Governorate | Kafr El Sheikh |
| National day | 4th of November |
| Named after | A Sufi Saint |
| Area | |
• Total | 19.3 km2 (7.5 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 14 m (46 ft) |
| Population (2023) | |
• Total | ~186,857 (Estimate) |
| • Density | 9,600/km2 (24,800/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Area code | (+20) 47 |
| Website | http://www.kafrelsheikh.gov.eg |
Kafr El Sheikh (Egyptian Arabic:كَفرُ الشَّيْخpronounced[kɑfɾeʃˈʃeːx]) ("village of theSheikh") is an Egyptian city and the capital ofKafr El Sheikh Governorate,Egypt, about 134 km north ofCairo, in theNile Delta of lower Egypt. As of November 2006, the town had a population of around 500,000.[2]
Kafr El Sheikh was earlier known asDuminqun (Arabic:دُمِيْنقُون), but was officially namedFuadiyah orFouadiyah (Arabic:فُؤادِيَّة) in honour ofKingFuad I of Egypt. After the1952 Revolution and the subsequent abolition of the monarchy, the governorate took the name of its capital city Kafr El Sheikh. This name, adopted in 1955, means "the village of the chief".[3][4][5] In 2006 the University of Kafr El Sheikh was established.
The modern name of the city means "village of the sheikh", and refers to sheikh Talhha at-Tilmisānī, who died here in 1234.[6] The older name of the city,Dumaynaqun (Arabic:دُمِيْنقُون), is reconstructed fromCoptic by Engsheden asⲑⲙⲟⲩⲓ ("island") + a personal name. This pattern is widely represented in Egyptian toponymy, so the name is expected to be Egyptian, but he proposes Nikon (Ancient Greek:Νίκων), which is unattested in Coptic sources, unable to find a suitable Egyptian name.[7] In fact, a personal nameAkon (Coptic:ⲁⲕⲱⲛ) is contained in place names likePmounakon (Coptic:ⲡⲙⲟⲩⲛⲁⲕⲟⲛ,lit. 'the well of Akon') in the Hermopolite nome andTmounakon (Coptic:ⲧⲙⲟⲩⲛⲁⲕⲱⲛ,lit. 'the island of Akon') nearOxyrhynchus, the latter of which could share its etymology with Dumaynaqun.[8][9]
The Governorate of Kafr el Sheikh is the holder of prestigious schools. It also has a university that has the following faculties:
The city museum showcases artifacts, mostly fromButo. Notable exhibits include artifacts depicting the conflict betweenHorus and his uncleSet, as well as a remarkable statue of Horus the Falcon. The museum also highlights the period when the city ofSakha hosted the journey of theHoly Family in Egypt. The city ofFuwwah, known for its Islamic heritage, is also featured. The Kafr El Sheikh Museum was inaugurated by PresidentEl-Sisi in 2020.[citation needed]
Kafr El Sheikh is the home to various factories, including a rice mill, a poultry forage factory and a sugar beet factory.[10]
Kafr El Sheikh ownsKafr El Sheikh SC which competes in the Egyptian second division league.[citation needed]
Kafr el-Sheikh is classified byKöppen-Geiger climate classification system ashot desert (BWh).
| Climate data for Kafr el-Sheikh, Egypt | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 18.8 (65.8) | 19.8 (67.6) | 22.2 (72.0) | 26 (79) | 30.3 (86.5) | 31.6 (88.9) | 33.5 (92.3) | 33 (91) | 31.5 (88.7) | 29.2 (84.6) | 25 (77) | 20.8 (69.4) | 26.8 (80.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 12.5 (54.5) | 13.2 (55.8) | 15.4 (59.7) | 18.5 (65.3) | 22.5 (72.5) | 24.6 (76.3) | 26.4 (79.5) | 26 (79) | 24.7 (76.5) | 22.6 (72.7) | 19 (66) | 14.7 (58.5) | 20.0 (68.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 6.3 (43.3) | 6.6 (43.9) | 8.6 (47.5) | 11.1 (52.0) | 14.7 (58.5) | 17.7 (63.9) | 19.4 (66.9) | 19 (66) | 18 (64) | 16 (61) | 13.1 (55.6) | 8.6 (47.5) | 13.3 (55.8) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 19 (0.7) | 13 (0.5) | 6 (0.2) | 4 (0.2) | 3 (0.1) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 4 (0.2) | 9 (0.4) | 14 (0.6) | 72 (2.9) |
| Source:Climate-Data.org[11] | |||||||||||||
31°06′42″N30°56′45″E / 31.11167°N 30.94583°E /31.11167; 30.94583
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