Egyptian Banha, the city of transients and the spice tree

Banha; The caring city of transients, Banha al-Asal, according to religious literature, the city located north of Cairo and within sight of which is 45 km, the footsteps of the Pharaohs, the Ptolemies, the Romans, and the conquering Arabs. The city that sleeps in the lap of the Nile is like a girl taking a nap in the lap of her lover. The city of leisurely travelers, taking a rest at its station, before completing the course. The most famous station in mainland Egypt, the city of transient relationships, and traveler words, on the platform of its train station, transients meet with tales and fleeting relationships.

In its old courtyard stands the statue of the leader, Saad Zagloul, standing tall, pointing firmly in the void to nothing, while in the past were the horse-drawn carts “carts” under its base. A profession that has gone through time, as well as others, of which there are now only one or two at most.

“You will make yourself from Benha” are words that are circulated as a matter of humor, in the Egyptian colloquial, until they became an example of omission, when in fact it has another face, for cities have faces to read from, and keys to unlock their locks. “Descended in Banha” in the thirties and beyond, these words were the means for the financially bankrupt of the passengers of the trains heading from Cairo to the cities of the Egyptian Delta, to escape from the “commercial” fare, requesting an exemption from the ticket, given the short distance between Cairo and Banha. The collector ignores it, so many people have joined it. Students, workers and simple peasants are not among them, so the word became an example.

Benha through the ages

The ancient sources say that Banha was a pharaonic village, meaning “Bi and Nakha,” meaning the sycamore orchard, and it is a sacred tree from which coffins and pharaonic statues were made for ease of formation. Under the rule of the successive Pharaonic families, where it was a center for the worship of the god Horus, and in which one of the oldest temples was built for him, which was destroyed by time, weather factors, and the silt of the Nile during periods of annual floods, while excavations still stumbled on its buried remains, in what was known as the hills Atrib, a Dutch excavation mission also found two obelisk bases from the era of Ramses II, one of the most important kings of the twenty-second dynasty. » Under the leadership of a powerful king called Benkhi, who began to march on the Egyptian lands, and had already taken overSouthern Egypt, and when it was on the outskirts of the delta, its princes saw that it was necessary to pacify him, so the ruler of Atrib Seri Isis invited him to visit her, and there in the temple of Horus a peace treaty was concluded between them, and King Osorkon was appointed governor of the delta by Ankh.

Banha in the Ptolemaic and Roman periods

The Ptolemies established in its suburb Atrib, a temple dedicated to the worship of the gods of the Greeks, as did the Romans; Where they built a temple for safety in which he would be safe from taking refuge in it, as well as the excavation missions found a wonderful engineering drainage and irrigation system, consisting of stone channels, connected to the Nile, and distributed to the houses and orchards of the city, which reflects the rulers’ interest in them, and the Romans also established a number of public forums; like the Roman baths; And a playground, and a number of public meeting places, the remains of which still exist today.

Under the Islamic conquest

It was settled by many Arab conquerors, while its status weakened, and it used its excavations, and the remains of its temples, to supply the huge construction projects of palaces, mosques and castles with the remains of marble and stones found in its ruins, and it was a stronghold of many Arab tribes, which the writings of Arab historians describe, Like Al-Maqrizi, it was a well-built city, with many waterways and bays, before the hand of forgetfulness reached it.

In the era of the upper dynasty

Governor Abbas Helmy settled it, and built a palace in it adjacent to its orchards, admiring the purity and quality of its air and the expansion of its orchards. It is the same palace in which he was assassinated for unknown reasons until this moment, after which the palace turned into a royal rest house, where King Farouk used to stay, and after the revolution the palace turned into a university that still exists until now.

Prominent Benhaoi Personalities

Benha gave birth to many prominent personalities who played an influential role in the Egyptian cultural and social life, among them Nabawiya Moussa, the pioneer of the women's movement at the beginning of the twentieth century. Sheikh Youssef Al-Dajwi; It is a sign of Azhar enlightened understanding; He has many legal and social works, some of which are still in print, including "The Message of Peace". The most famous writer and historian, Gamal Hamdan, owner of the "Encyclopedia of the Personality of Egypt", belongs to it regionally. It also belongs to the nuclear scientist Yahya Al-Mashad, who led the Iraqi nuclear program, and was killed in Paris in June 1980.

Benha is now one of the most beautiful Egyptian cities, and is characterized by the presence of various government departments in it, many parks, and cellular spaces, as well as a number of important cultural centers such as the public library and the Palace of Culture. Taking care of it, and developing it as the most important park in the city, and a symbol of its unique personality. Passers-by and visitors can also visit the Atrib Hills, and see the remains of Roman ruins, which are the remains of baths built in the Roman style with red stone and plaster, and an arena to which a number of sports were held, and a park whose remains of terraces still exist until now. You can also visit the palace built by Governor Abbas Pasha, which still exists today as an administrative building for Benha University. However, the greatest pleasure is wandering the streets of the city at night, enjoying its moderate noise, and the kindness of its people who are famous for their generosity.