Previous Post
The Authentic Little Italian Restaurant in Downtown Cairo You Probably Didn't Know About
Next Post
7 Egyptian Relatives We All Want to Blacklist this Eid

Something You Didn't Know About Each of Egypt's 27 Governorates

Cairo can be such a bubble sometimes, that we forget about the hidden gems the rest of the country has to offer.

Italy is famous for pizza. England is famous for tea. Canada is famous for maple syrup, and Egypt is famous for Pyramids... right? Well, yeah, but Egypt has so much more to offer. It has history, food, culture, and it's governorates have so many hidden treasures that hardly anyone knows about, so we've put together a list of what each of Egypt's governorates is famous for.

Alexandria: Cheap Flights

Alexandria, Egypt’s jewel of the Mediterranean, is famous for so many things but mostly for its cheap flights courtesy of Air Arabia.

Aswan: Swimming in the Nile

The first thing that comes to mind when you think about Aswan is the extremely horrible weather. Honestly, we couldn’t understand how anyone could possibly live there until we found out that Aswan is the only place where you can actually swim in the Nile.

Asyut: Molasses

There are four huge molasses factories in Egypt and four of them are in Asyut. Talk about a trademark.

Beheira: Damanhour Opera House

The Cairo and Alexandria Opera Houses need no introduction, but the one in Damanhour is bound to give them a run for their money.

Beni Suef: Meidum Pyramid

The first thing that comes to mind when you ask a foreigner about Egypt is the Giza pyramids, but little do they know that there’s another breathtaking pyramid called Miedum Pyramid in Beni Suef.

Cairo: Traffic

Well Obviously…

Dakahlia: World Class Health Care

Other than being famous for having the prettiest girls, Dakahlia has the second best Urology and Nephrology institutes in the world at the University of Mansoura.

Domyat : The Zaffa

Domyat’s furniture is famous internationally, but little do people know that the most famous thing we have from this Delta governorate is the Zaffa… you know...that incredibly loud bit at the beginning of every Egyptian wedding ever.

Faiyum: Caricature Museum / Basket Weaving

Faiyum’s Tunis Village is famous for more than just its pottery schools and chicken farms; it’s famous for Mohamed Abla’s Caricature Museum, which now host more than 500 caricature’s from 50 Egyptian and Middle Eastern artists. Faiyum is also famous for it's basket weaving, a tradition which goes back to Pharaonic times, so your building's sabat probably came from there!

Gharbia: Sufi Festivals

Gharbia's capital Tanta is famous nationwide for it's annual Sufi festivals. It holds three for the highly-revered Sufi saint Ahmed al-Badawi, whose final resting place is the mosque of his namesake.

Giza: Camel Market

Giza is famous for its pyramids. Duh! But it’s also known for the huge camel market in Kerdasa. Pro tip: if you go early, you can eat raw camel liver; we know, sounds disgusting, is actually delicious though.

Ismailia: Lake Timsah

You probably didn't know that the city of Ismailia lies on the shores of Lake Timsah, also known as Crocodile Lake. It's sandy lakeside is a very popular spot for the locals, where they can go and enjoy tea and shisha, and even swim!


Kafr El Sheikh: Feseekh/ Rugs and Carpets

The real kings and queens of feseekh live in Kafr El Sheikh, and they sit on beautifully handmade carpets also made in Kafr El Sheikh.

Luxor: Bananas

Luxor is Egypt’s ultimate tourist city and the attractions are endless. One of the less famous ones is the ‘Banana Island’ or 'Gezirat el Moz' where Egyptians get most of their bananas.

Matruh: Lib

Any self-respecting Egyptian knows the importance of good lib, and the best lib is in Matrouh. 

Minya: El Minya Sign

You’d think that the most famous thing about this governorate is the potatoes, but really it’s the huge ‘EL MINYA’ sign that kind of looks like the Hollywood sign but doesn’t.

Monufia: Feteer Mishaltit

Sure, everywhere in Egypt has the best feteer mishaltit, but you really haven’t had feteer until you’ve had the stuff they make in Monufia.

New Valley: Dessert Lodge

You’d think that the most famous thing about New Valley would be the copious amounts of sand but really it’s famous for this gorgeous hotel.

North Sinai: Fayrouz  

North Sinai’s dessert is rich with this gorgeous gemstone.

Port Said: French Architecture

When the French built the Suez Canal, they stayed in the coastal city of Port Said and left behind beautiful architecture which the city is now famous for.

Qalyubia: Honey

The sweetest honey in Egypt is in Banha, also known as Banha el Asal, and it’s what Qalyubia is famous for.

Qena: Sugar Cane

Qena sugar canes are proof that there is a god and that he loves us.

Red Sea: Mangroves

Photo courtesy: Monica Al Mufti

Obviously, the Red Sea Governorate is famous for its natural beauty, but more specifically it’s famous for its Mangroves. The place is filled with them.

Sharqia: Hawawshee

You haven't lived until you've had hawawshee from Sharqia. In fact, the sharqawiya love hawawshi so much, one village known as Al Aziziyah, have been eating the luscious meat sandwich every Wednesday for the last 18 years. Damn, that's a lot of love!

Sohag: City of Abydus

Sohag is so much more than just a farming region, it's also home to one of the most important historical sights of Ancient Egypt

South Sinai: herbs

South Sinai is famous for its beaches, its wildlife, but mostly its herbs… Hasheesh is a herb right?

Suez: Seafood

Little known fact: the best seafood in Egypt isn’t in Alexandria, it’s in Suez.