Banha

Banha is a city of 182,000 people (2021) in the Nile Delta in Lower Egypt. It is on the east bank of the Damietta Branch of the Nile River in the rich farmland of the southern part of the river's delta. The city is recognized for its traditional handicrafts, including ceramics and textiles, and for its agricultural output, particularly cotton and sugarcane.

Understand

Banha is the capital city of the Qalyubia Governorate in Egypt. Since ancient times, Banha has been known for the production of attar of roses, an ingredient in perfume. Today it is the center of Egypt's electronics industry.

Get in

By train

The city is a railway junction for the lines in the Nile Delta. From here lines lead to Cairo and to Alexandria in the western Nile Delta and Dumyāṭ in the east. The 🌍 Banha train station is in the city center west of the railway tracks.

Bullet trains from Cairo to Alexandria run approximately every hour to every two hours during the day. The journey time to Cairo is around half an hour and to Alexandria around 2½ hours. There are five pairs of trains to Dumyāṭ. The journey time is about 3½ hours.

By car

The city can be reached via Highway 1, Route agricole or Cairo-Alexandria Agricultural Road. It branches off the ring road north of Cairo, bypasses the city to the east and north, crosses the arm of the Nile and continues to Ṭanṭā. From the motorway junction in the east of the city, the trunk road 42 leads south of the railway line to the city center.

By bus

Around the 🌍 canal bridges, there are several bus stops.

Get around

Within the city, there is only one 🌍 bridge over the Damiette arm of the Nile. It can be reached via Farid Nada St., and it connects Banhā with Kafr el-Gazār (كوبري كفر الجزار , Kūbrī Kafr al-Ǧazār).

Several bridges lead over the irrigation canal at a distance of about one kilometer. The main ones are south of the train station. There is one about 300 meters north of the station 🌍 underpass under the tracks, leading to the parts of the city in the east. Another 🌍 underpass on the Corniche in front of the railway bridge gives access to the northern parts of the city.

See

Religious buildings
  • 🌍 Nasser Mosque (مسجد ناصر, Masǧid Nāṣir), Housney Mobarak. Dome mosque with two high minarets. (updated Feb 2024)
  • 🌍 Saiyid Bek el Qadi Mosque (مسجد سيد بك القاضي, Masǧid Saiyid Bek al-Qāḍī). 
  • Al-Fath Mosque: This is one of the oldest and most magnificent mosques in Banha, erected in the 17th century.
  • 🌍 Church of St. Virgin Mary (كنيسة القديسة مريم العذراء, Kanīsat al-Qiddīsa Maryam al-ʿAdhrāʾ). Church of the Coptic Catholic Bishopric of Banhā and Quweisinā (قويسنا). This church dates back to the 4th century AD. 
  • 🌍 Church of St. John of the Beloved (كنيسة مار يوحنا الحبيب, Kanīsat Mār Yuḥannā al-Ḥabīb). Coptic Catholic Church. 
  • 🌍 Church of St. Nicholas (كنيسة القديس نيقولاوس, Kanīsat al-Qiddīs Niqūlāus). The former Greek Orthodox Church is now used by the Coptic Orthodox Christians. 

Secular sites
  • Banha Museum
  • Banha Corniche: This is a wonderful beachfront location along the Nile River, where you may enjoy the landscape and relax.
  • Palace of the Chediv Abbas Hilmi. The palace of the Ottoman governor in Egypt and Sudan, ʿAbbās Ḥilmī I , was completed in 1850. He lived here in self-imposed seclusion. But he could not enjoy his palace for long. ʿAbbās Ḥilmī was strangled here on July 16, 1854 by two of his servants.
  • 🌍 Athribis (Tell Atrīb). The settlement hill of Athribes used to be outside of what is now the city. Due to the growth of the city, the archaeological site is now in the north of Banhā. However, the area of ​​the ancient capital of the 10th nome (province) of Lower Egypt (about 1500 BCE) has not yet been systematically excavated. To the west of the area are the remains of the ancient Egyptian temple of Chentechtai. (updated Feb 2024)

Buy

Shop for traditional crafts: Banha is recognized for its traditional handicrafts, including ceramics and textiles, and is a fantastic spot to purchase mementos.

Eat

Enjoy the local cuisine: Banha is famed for its great local food, including delicacies like kushari, ful medames, and shawarma, which can be found at many local restaurants and street food sellers.

Drink

Sleep
  • 🌍 Evan Resort & Hotel, Zagazig Rd, Sheblengah, ☏ +20 10 23412600. Resort style hotel. (updated Feb 2024)

Go next
  • Visit the nearby historic city of Memphis
  • Excursions can be made to the nearby cities of Cairo, Ṭanṭā and ez-Zaqāzīq.
  • Large parts of the Nile Delta can be reached via the rail connections to Alexandria and Dumyāṭ.
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