Abu Tig Explained

27.0367°N 31.3281°W

Abu Tig
Native Name:أبو تيج
Ⲁⲡⲟⲑⲏⲕⲏ
Pushpin Map:Egypt
Pushpin Mapsize:300
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Egypt
Pushpin Label Position:bottom
Coordinates:27.0367°N 31.3281°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Egypt
Subdivision Type1:Governorate
Subdivision Name1:Asyut
Unit Pref:Imperial
Population Blank1 Title:Ethnicities
Timezone:EST
Utc Offset:+2

Abu Tig (Arabic: أبو تيج; Coptic: Ⲧⲁⲡⲟⲑⲏⲕⲏ[1] Tapothēkē in Coptic pronounced as /təpoˈtʰeːⲕə/) is a city in the Asyut Governorate of Egypt. Located on the west bank of the Nile, it has a population of 70,969 inhabitants (2006).

Abu Tig is the third largest city in Asyut Governorate in Egypt after Asyut itself and Dairut. Abu-Tig is very famous for herbs and botanicals all over Egypt. In the Ancient era, Abu-Tig was and still considered as the central hub for fresh and natural fruits and vegetables as well as herbs and spices. It is not only a commercial city but is famous for El Farghal Mosque as well. El Farghal Mosque, with its twin minarets, is the largest mosque in Upper Egypt. Many people come to Abu Tig every year in July to visit El Farghal Mosque and celebrate at the El Farghal fair.[2] During holidays and feasts, people from all over Upper Egypt come to Abu Tig to visit its zoo, called "Nasser Zoo".

History

Abu Tig is an ancient city distinguished by its ancient-times archaeology, including an obelisk with a depiction of Queen and Pharaoh Hatshepsut.[3] Gauthier adds that its ancient Egyptian name was "Pa-shna" which translates to "The store" where the Greeks translated the name to "Apotheke" (Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Ἀποθήκή) and hence came the modern name of the city, it was a place of worship of Hathor.[4] Palaces and churches in Abu Tig date back to ancient Coptic,[5] [6] and Islamic eras. During the Napoleonic Era, tourists looking for fine belly-dancing could find belly-dancers in Abu Tig. A school for training belly-dancers existed there until public belly-dancing was banned.[7] In the early 19th century slaves from Sudan were castrated near Abu Tig, mainly by Coptic priests.[8] Abu Tig has a number of bars that cater to tourists, including divers.[9]

Geography

Abu Tig has many subordinate villages like: Baqor, Nazlat Baqor, El Felio, El Nekhila, Bani Semei, El Zayara, El Zawia, Dekran, El Zarabi, Dweina, Nazlat Dweina, Abu El Hareth, Abu Khors and El Balayza.

Climate

Abu Tig is classified by Köppen-Geiger climate classification system as hot desert (BWh), as the rest of Egypt.

Notable people

Notes and References

  1. Book: Timm, Stefan. Das christlich-koptische Agypten in arabischer Zeit (Teil 1 A-C). 57.
  2. Web site: About Asyut City area and location. aun edu. Asyut University.
  3. Book: Rebecca Angharad Dean. Warfare and Weaponry in Dynastic Egypt. 31 March 2017. Pen and Sword. 978-1-4738-6205-0. 127–. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20171126034727/https://books.google.com/books?id=r2jBDgAAQBAJ&pg=PP127. 26 November 2017.
  4. [#Dictionnaire des Noms Géographiques Contenus dans les Textes Hiéroglyphiques Vol. 5|Gauthier (1928)]
  5. Book: Otto F. A. Meinardus. Christians In Egypt: Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant Communities - Past and Present. 1 September 2006. American University in Cairo Press. 978-1-61797-262-1. 47–. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20171126034727/https://books.google.com/books?id=LFbbAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT47. 26 November 2017.
  6. Book: Sami A. Hanna. AZIZ SURYAL ATIYA. 1 January 1972. Brill Archive. 90-04-03406-4. 322–. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20171126034728/https://books.google.com/books?id=q9YUAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA322. 26 November 2017.
  7. Book: Kathleen W. Fraser. Before They Were Belly Dancers: European Accounts of Female Entertainers in Egypt, 1760–1870. 25 November 2014. McFarland. 978-1-4766-1916-3. 53–. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20171126034728/https://books.google.com/books?id=6luXBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA53. 26 November 2017.
  8. Book: Mariam Ayad. Studies in Coptic Culture: Transmission and Interaction. 2 May 2016. American University in Cairo Press. 978-1-61797-766-4. 132–. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20171126034727/https://books.google.com/books?id=3oUeDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA132. 26 November 2017.
  9. Book: Fodor's. Fodor's Egypt. 2011. Fodor's Travel Publications. 978-1-4000-0519-2. 377–. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20171126034727/https://books.google.com/books?id=BAJhNElwjOUC&pg=PA377. 2017-11-26.
  10. 28 September 2017. مصر تسبق السعودية فى رخصة قيادة السيدات بقرن. Al-Shorouk. 3161. 12.