Sohag

Sohag is a city on the western bank of the Nile in Egypt, nicknamed the Bride of the Nile, with a city population of 266,944 as of 2021 and a metropolitan area of about 600,000, ranking 21st among Egyptian cities. It grew from the ancient village of Suhay atop earlier settlements including Bompae, a center of the Ptolemaic and Roman periods, and became capital of Sohag Governorate in 1960, succeeding Girga. Its economy rests on trade and small industries including carpets, furniture, spinning, weaving and sugar, while nearby Abydos and the White and Red Monasteries draw modest tourism to the wider region.