Zagazig

About Zagazig

Zagazig is a city in Egypt. Situated in the eastern part of the Nile delta, it is the capital of the governorate of Sharqia. It is located on the Muweis Canal and is a hub of the corn and cotton trade. The city contains the Museum of Tal Basta Antiquities, including archaeological exhibits.

The city is home to Zagazig University, founded in 1974, one of the largest universities in Egypt, with colleges in different fields of science and arts. The Archaeological Museum of the University of Zagazig exhibits significant finds from the nearby sites, Bubastis (Tell Basta) and Kufur Nigm. The most notable streets in Zagazig are Farouk Street, Government Street, Abu Hamad and El Kawmia Street.

The city was founded in the 19th century on the site of a village called Nazlat az-Zaqāzīq which was named after the Zaqzuq family. The family's name itself comes from a dialectal word zaqzuq or ziqziq which means "A small creature" (e.g. a fish or a mouse) and comes from a Coptic word ϫⲉⲕϫⲓⲕ "Ant or other insect".

The ruins of the ancient Egyptian city of Bubastis are located 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) southeast of town...

Overview adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA. Photography via Wikimedia Commons.