Giza
Giza (/ˈɡiːzə/; sometimes spelled Gizah, Gizeh, Geeza, Jiza; Arabic: الجيزة, romanized: al-Jīzah, pronounced [aljiːzah], Egyptian Arabic: الجيزة el-Gīza [elˈgiːzæ]) is the third-largest city in Egypt by area after Cairo and Alexandria; and fourth-largest city in Africa by population after Kinshasa, Lagos, and Cairo. It is the capital of Giza Governorate with a total population of 4,872,448 in the 2017 census. It is located on the west bank of the Nile opposite central Cairo, and is a part of the Greater Cairo metropolis. Giza lies less than 30 km (18.64 mi) north of Memphis (Men-nefer, today the village of Mit Rahina), which was the capital city of the unified Egyptian state during the reign of pharaoh Narmer, roughly 3100 BC.
Giza
الجيزة | |
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Clockwise from top: Giza panorama, Pyramids of Giza, Cairo University, Great Sphinx of Giza, aerial view of Pyramids | |
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Flag Seal | |
Giza Location of Giza within Egypt Giza Giza (Africa) | |
| Coordinates: 29.9870°N 31.2118°E | |
| Country | Egypt |
| Governorate | Giza |
| Founded | 642 AD |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Ahmed Rashed |
| Area | |
| • Total | 98.4 km2 (38.0 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 30 m (100 ft) |
| Population (2021) | |
| • Total | 4,367,343 |
| • Density | 44,000/km2 (110,000/sq mi) |
| • Demonym | Gizan Gizanne |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EST) |
| Postal code | 5-Digit |
| Area code | (+20) 2 |
| Website | Giza.gov.eg |
Giza is most famous as the location of the Giza Plateau, the site of some of the most impressive ancient monuments in the world, including a complex of ancient Egyptian royal mortuary and sacred structures, among which are the Great Sphinx, the Great Pyramid of Giza, and a number of other large pyramids and temples. Giza has always been a focal point in Egypt's history due to its location close to Memphis, the ancient pharaonic capital of the Old Kingdom.