Nine Egyptian Cities from Damietta to Edfu in Order of Latitude, North to South

Damietta is the northernmost stop at 31.42 degrees north. The page describes a port city and the capital of Damietta Governorate on the Damietta branch of the Nile Delta, about 15 kilometers from the Mediterranean, and notes its long standing as a Catholic bishopric.

Damanhur lies at 31.05 degrees north in the western delta, about 160 kilometers northwest of Cairo. It is the capital of Beheira Governorate, and the page records its medieval role as a caravan town on the post road between Cairo and Alexandria.

Sais, at 30.96 degrees north, is the one ancient site in the delta section. The page describes it as the provincial capital of the fifth nome of Lower Egypt and a seat of royal power in the Twenty-fourth and Twenty-sixth Dynasties, now occupied by the town of Sa el-Hagar.

Zagazig, at 30.57 degrees north, closes the delta stretch. The page records its founding in 1830 on the site of an earlier village, its role as capital of Sharqia Governorate and its Museum of Tal Basta Antiquities, which shows finds from ancient Bubastis.

Beni Suef is at 29.07 degrees north on the west bank of the Nile, about 110 kilometers south of Cairo. The page gives its population as 294,125 in 2023 and links it to the nearby ancient site of Heracleopolis and to a long history of linen and carpet making.

Hurghada, at 27.26 degrees north, is the only Red Sea stop and sits well east of the river towns around it. The page records its start as a small fishing settlement, its establishment as a town in 1905 and its growth into a resort city and the capital of Red Sea Governorate.

Sohag lies at 26.56 degrees north on the western bank of the Nile and is nicknamed the Bride of the Nile. The page records that it became capital of Sohag Governorate in 1960, succeeding Girga, and that its economy rests on trade and small industries such as carpets and weaving.

El-Tod, at 25.58 degrees north, is an ancient town about 12 miles southwest of Luxor. The page records its temple of the god Montu and the Tod Treasure found beneath it in 1936, copper chests inscribed with the name of Amenemhat II.

Edfu is the southernmost stop at 24.98 degrees north, on the west bank of the Nile in the Aswan Governorate. The page records the Ptolemaic Temple of Horus, built between 237 and 57 BC, and the settlement of Tell Edfu, whose remains span more than 3,000 years.