| Kafr El Sheikh | |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Pushpin Map: | Egypt |
| Pushpin Mapsize: | 300 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Egypt |
| Subdivision Type1: | Governorate |
| Subdivision Name1: | Kafr El Sheikh |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  Egypt |
| Subdivision Type2: | National day |
| Subdivision Name2: | 4th of November |
| Area Total Km2: | 19.3 |
| Population As Of: | 2023 |
| Population Total: | ~186,857 (Estimate) |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Blank1 Title: | Egypt |
| Population Blank1: | 98.042.000 |
| Population Density Blank1 Sq Mi: | auto |
| Timezone: | EET |
| Utc Offset: | +2 |
| Utc Offset Dst: | +3 |
| Coordinates: | 31.1117°N 30.9458°W |
| Elevation Footnotes: | [1] |
| Elevation M: | 14 |
| Postal Code: | 33511 |
| Area Code: | (+20) 47 |
| Website: | http://www.kafrelsheikh.gov.eg |
| Named For: | A Sufi Saint |
| Native Name: | كَفرُ الشَّيْخ |
Kafr El Sheikh (كَفرُ الشَّيْخ pronounced as /kɑfɾ eʃˈʃeːx/) is an Egyptian city and the capital of Kafr El Sheikh Governorate, Egypt, about 134 km north of Cairo, in the Nile Delta of lower Egypt. As of November 2006, the town had a population of around 500,000.[2]
Kafr El Sheikh was earlier known as Duminqun, but was officially named Fuadiyah or Fouadiyah (Arabic: فُؤادِيَّة) in honour of King Fuad I of Egypt. After the 1952 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, is reconstructed from Coptic by Engsheden as ("island") + a personal name. This pattern is widely represented in Egyptian toponymy, so the name is expected to be Egyptian, but he proposes Nikon, which is unattested in Coptic sources, unable to find a suitable Egyptian name.[7] In fact, a personal name Akon is contained in place names like Pmounakon in the Hermopolite nome and Tmounakon near Oxyrhynchus, 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 from Buto. Notable exhibits include artifacts depicting the conflict between Horus and his uncle Set, as well as a remarkable statue of Horus the Falcon. The museum also highlights the period when the city of Sakha hosted the journey of the Holy Family in Egypt. The city of Fuwwah, known for its Islamic heritage, is also featured. The Kafr El Sheikh Museum was inaugurated by President El-Sisi in 2020.
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 owns Kafr El Sheikh SC which competes in the Egyptian second division league.
Kafr el-Sheikh is classified by Köppen-Geiger climate classification system as hot desert (BWh).