Giza City: Its Location, Climate, Zoo, Pyramids, Sphinx, Economy & Education. All you need to know about Giza City
The city of Giza, in terms of area, is ranked third in Egypt after Cairo and Alexandria, while in terms of population, it stands at number thirteen in the whole of Africa. The city also acts as the capital of Giza Governorate. Giza city has a total population of 4,458,135 as of 2023.
Where is Giza?
It is located on the west bank of the Nile opposite central Cairo, and is a part of the Greater Cairo metropolis. Giza city lies less than 30 kilometres (20 miles) 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, 3100 BC.
Giza City in Egypt
Giza Meaning
The name Giza, originating from Arabic, holds its etymological roots in the phrase Gizah Al-Ard, which translates to Hewn Stone. This name is strongly associated with the famous Giza Plateau, located on the outskirts of modern-day Cairo, Egypt. The Giza Plateau is renowned for its ancient Egyptian landmarks, including the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx. Dating back over 4,500 years, these architectural marvels were primarily constructed using large stone blocks shaped and positioned with immense precision, hence the name Hewn Stone.
In terms of historical significance, the name Giza symbolises the remarkable achievements of the ancient Egyptians in the realm of architecture and engineering. The structures found on the Giza Plateau have captivated the world for centuries, serving as a testament to the grandeur and ingenuity of this ancient civilisation. Today, Giza is a prominent tourist attraction, drawing visitors from across the globe who marvel at the colossal pyramids and the enigmatic Sphinx.
In archaeological and historical discussions, Giza is frequently used as shorthand to represent this architectural wonderland, standing as a reminder of humanity’s capacity for extraordinary achievements.
Giza Pyramids & Sphinx
Giza City is most famous as the location of the Giza Plateau. It has 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 many other large pyramids and temples. Owing to its location near the pharaonic capital of the Old Kingdom-Giza has always enjoyed a significant stature in Egypt’s history.
Giza City, pyramids, and the Sphinx
Giza Pyramid Complex
The Giza pyramid complex, or necropolis at Giza, in Egypt, comprises the Great Pyramid, the pyramid of Khafre, and the pyramid of Menkaure, with their respective pyramid complexes and the Great Sphinx. These were constructed under the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom period of ancient Egypt around c. 2600 – c. 2500 BC. Other things situated there include some temples, graveyards, and the remains of a workers’ village.
The Great Pyramid and Khafre’s Pyramid are the two largest that were constructed in ancient Egypt and have historically become symbols for the Western imagination of Ancient Egypt. During Hellenistic times, they were made popular by Antipater of Sidon, who included the Great Pyramid as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It is the far oldest of all Ancient Wonders and the only surviving one.
The Sphynx & Great Pyramid
Giza Districts and population
2017 population and administrative divisions
Giza city is a municipal division and the capital of Giza governorate, with an appointed city head. It comprises nine districts and five new towns administered by the New Urban Communities Authority (NUCA). The districts fully subsume to the city head, and according to the 2017 census, it had 4,872,448 residents. As of New 6th of October, October Gardens, New Sphinx, Qorsaya Island, Dahab Island, and Al-Warraq Island didn’t exist in the 2017 census, as they were not yet incorporated or inhabited at that time.
An Overview of Giza Geography and Climate
Giza’s most famous landform and archaeological site, the Giza Plateau, has some major monuments of Egyptian history, and is home to the Great Sphinx. Once thriving with the Nile that flowed right into the Giza Plateau, the pyramids of Giza were built overlooking the ancient Egyptian capital city of Memphis, across the river from modern-day Cairo. The Great Pyramid of Giza, at one time, was advocated (1884) as the location for the Prime Meridian, a reference point used for determining a base longitude.
Giza city
Giza Climate
Giza city experiences a hot, desert-like arid climate. Its climate is similar to Cairo’s, owing to its proximity. Windstorms can be frequent across Egypt in spring, bringing Saharan dust into the city during March and April. High temperatures in winter range from 16 to 20 °C (61 to 68 °F), while nighttime lows drop to below 7 °C (45 °F). In summer, the highs are 40 °C (104 °F), and the lows can drop to about 20 °C (68 °F). Rain is infrequent in Giza; snow is extremely rare.
Until August 2013, the temperature reached its record maximum at 46ºC (115ºF) on June 13, 1965. On the other hand, the recorded minimum temperature was 2ºC (36ºF) on January 8, 1966.
Giza City History
1- During the Ancient era
The precinct of what today constitutes Giza was a necropolis of different royal persons who reigned over Egypt in the second millennium BC. Three of those tombs, in the form of the Great Pyramids, make up the much-famous pyramid complex at Giza, with the Great Pyramid of Giza.
2- During the Classical to medieval era
As ancient Egypt passed under several conquests under the Persians, Greeks, Romans and Byzantines, so did the area in what is now Giza. A Byzantine village named Phylake, meaning “the fortress”, now Tersa, was located south of Giza city and should not be confused with it. As Muslims of the fledgling Islamic caliphate went on with their conquest of Egypt from the Byzantine Empire beginning in 639 AD, three years after their victory at the battle of Yarmouk in 636 AD, they conquered all of the land by the time they captured the city of Alexandria in 641 AD. A year later, in 642 AD (year 21 in the Islamic calendar), they founded the city of Giza.
Giza City Infrastructure& Importance
Giza City has seen many changes over time. Changes in infrastructure during the different occupations of Egypt by various rulers, including the British in the 18th and early 20th century, focused on the construction of roads, streets, and buildings in the area. Giza is a progressive centre of Egyptian culture and is quite heavily populated, with many facilities and buildings in the current area. Giza has received much attention in particular, to its vast amount of ancient Egyptian monuments found on the Giza Plateau, and has astonished thousands of visitors and tourists over the years.
Giza’s infrastructure had much attention from both the British government before the 1952 coup d’état, as well as the current Egyptian government, due to the city’s importance in tourism. Giza’s St. George Cathedral is the episcopal see of the Coptic Catholic Eparchy of Giza. The city has the first zoo on the entire African continent and one of the oldest in the Mediterranean region, the Giza Zoo. In addition, there are several parks, the most famous among them is Orman Park, which means “Forest Park” in the Turkish language.
Giza Zoo
The Giza Zoo was established on March 1, 1891, and was Africa’s first zoo and the world’s third-oldest zoological garden. It is located on approximately 80 acres (32 hectares). The zoo was originally designed as a botanical garden and features several historical architectural elements. The zoo contains several notable architectural and cultural landmarks, like A suspension bridge, the Japanese Kiosk, Original gates from the Khedive’s Palace and Haramlik Palace, Mosaic-decorated footpaths, and A marble island known as Tea Island.
Giza Zoo
The zoo houses approximately 4,000 animals representing over 175 species, including:
- Large mammals: Lions, tigers, giraffes, rhinos, hippopotamuses
- Primates: Various monkey and ape species
- Birds: Native and exotic species, including flamingos and rare birds
- Reptiles: Including Egyptian cobras and Nile crocodiles
In 2023, the government declared its intention to increase animal species from 71 to 186. The zoo serves multifold functions: as a recreational place, a research institution, and a cultural landmark.
Giza Transportation
Transportation in Giza city comprises an extensive road network, rail system, subway system, and maritime services. Road transport is facilitated by personal vehicles, taxi cabs, privately owned public buses and microbuses. Giza shares with Cairo a subway system, officially called the Metro, a fast and efficient way of getting around. An extensive road network connects Giza with 6th of October City, Cairo and other cities. There are flyovers and bridges, such as the 15th. Traffic in Giza is known to be overwhelming and overcrowded.
Other means of transport include: Cairo Taxi, Uber, Careem, Swvl, and Water taxis (motorised feluccas) are available for transport to nearby places along the Nile River.
International access to Giza
Access to Giza city, which has its own governorate adjacent to the Governorate of Cairo, is dependent on the Cairo International Airport. Another local airport is found in Giza, called the Imbaba Airport, but recently the Egyptian government has decided to shut down the airport and turn it into a cultural or athletic area. Sphinx International Airport was opened in 2018 as an alternative to the already congested Cairo International Airport, but also to improve accessibility to the Giza necropolis as well as to the Grand Egyptian Museum.
Cairo Airport
Giza Economy
- Industries in Giza include filmmaking. Giza is a hub of Egyptian studios like Studio Misr and Alahram studio, and movie production companies like Al Sobki Productions, headed by Mohamed Al Sobki.
- A main source of income in Giza is tourism, as it is home to many historical sites, including the Great Pyramid and Pyramid of Djoser and the Grand Egyptian Museum and the Sphinx.
- Chemicals are an important industry in Giza. Giza Paints & Chemical Industries was established in 1984.
- Giza has many luxury apartment buildings along the Nile, making it a popular place to live.
Giza Education
Cairo University
Giza city’s learning institutions include Cairo University, which was moved to Giza in 1924. The city is a hub of education and educational services not only for Egypt but also for the entire Mediterranean Region. Giza has numerous schools, kindergartens, and institutes of higher learning. The Cairo Japanese School, a Japanese international school, is in Giza. The Deutsche Evangelische Oberschule, a German international school, is located in Dokki in Giza. Previously, the Pakistan International School of Cairo had its campus in Giza.
Cairo University in Giza City
Sport in Giza
The Giza city hosts the second most successful sports club in Egypt and Africa, El Zamalek, which is located in the Meet Okba neighbourhood near the Mohandesin neighbourhood. Besides El Zamalek, there are other clubs like El Tersana and Seid Shooting Club, which is one of the elite clubs in Egypt.
Zamalek Club in Giza city
Conclusion
Giza city is a significant Egyptian city renowned for the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, a timeless symbol of ancient Egypt’s grandeur and a unique surviving wonder of the world. As a modern metropolis, Giza serves as a vital hub for culture, industry, and tourism because it blends its unparalleled historical legacy with contemporary life as part of Greater Cairo. It is a wonderful city in the fields of sports, education, economy, tourism, and monuments or in any field. So it is an interesting tourist destination.
