Atfih
Encyclopedia
Atfih is a city in Middle Egypt
. It was part of the now defunct Helwan Governorate
from April 2008 to April 2011, after which it was reincorporated into the Cairo Governorate. As of 2001, it has a population of 106,300 inhabitants.
Tpyhwt, meaning the first of the cows, referring to Hathor
. The name became Petpeh in Coptic
, from which is derived the Arabic
version Atfih . The city was also known in Greco-Roman Egypt
as Aphroditopolis
.
.
Some of the Ancient Egyptian monuments discovered in the town include an animal necropolis, Greco-Roman tombs, and sepulchers of cows in huge limestone tombs.
In the first of March
2011 the village Soul in Atfih has seen skirmishes between some Muslim
and Christian
people. And that happened because there was a relationship between a young Christian and a Muslim girl. When some people tried to blame the girl's father on, a brawl started and ended by killing the girl's father and one of his relatives. An outrage arose and Muslimes of the village went to the church of the two martyrs and set it on fire. Hence, the Christians demonstrated in front of Maspiro television building
demanding that the church should be built in the same place and Christians should be returned to their homes in the village safely. Prime Minister
Essam Sharaf
visited them to calm the situation and the priest Mtawos Wahba has been released. the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces
pledged to rebuild the church. Some of religious, political and public figures have intervened to calm the situation, including the Islamic scholar Sheikh Mohamed Hassan, and the Islamic preacher
Amr Khaled
.
Middle Egypt
Middle Egypt is the section of land between Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt, stretching upstream from Asyut in the south to Memphis in the north. At the time, Ancient Egypt was divided into Lower and Upper Egypt, though Middle Egypt was technically a subdivision of Upper Egypt. It was not until the...
. It was part of the now defunct Helwan Governorate
Helwan Governorate
Helwan Governorate was one of the governorates of Egypt. It was located in Lower Egypt.-History:The Helwan Governorate was split from the Cairo Governorate in April 2008. It was created through a presidential decree in order to ease the burden placed on Cairo, one of Egypt's most densely populated...
from April 2008 to April 2011, after which it was reincorporated into the Cairo Governorate. As of 2001, it has a population of 106,300 inhabitants.
Etymology
The name is derived from Ancient EgyptianEgyptian language
Egyptian is the oldest known indigenous language of Egypt and a branch of the Afroasiatic language family. Written records of the Egyptian language have been dated from about 3400 BC, making it one of the oldest recorded languages known. Egyptian was spoken until the late 17th century AD in the...
Tpyhwt, meaning the first of the cows, referring to Hathor
Hathor
Hathor , is an Ancient Egyptian goddess who personified the principles of love, beauty, music, motherhood and joy. She was one of the most important and popular deities throughout the history of Ancient Egypt...
. The name became Petpeh in Coptic
Coptic language
Coptic or Coptic Egyptian is the current stage of the Egyptian language, a northern Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Egypt until at least the 17th century. Egyptian began to be written using the Greek alphabet in the 1st century...
, from which is derived the Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
version Atfih . The city was also known in Greco-Roman Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
as Aphroditopolis
Aphroditopolis
Aphroditopolis is the Greek name given to two Egyptian cities:* Tpyhwt in Ancient Egypt, Petpeh in Coptic, today known as Atfih.* Per Hathor in Ancient Egypt, Pathyris or Aphroditopolis during the Greco-Roman era, today known as Gebelein....
.
Overview
Atfih is located at the coordinates 29°25′00"N 31°15′00"E, in the area of ancient Maten, Upper Egypt's lowest nomeNome (Egypt)
A nome was a subnational administrative division of ancient Egypt. Today's use of the Greek nome rather than the Egyptian term sepat came about during the Ptolemaic period. Fascinated with Egypt, Greeks created many historical records about the country...
.
Some of the Ancient Egyptian monuments discovered in the town include an animal necropolis, Greco-Roman tombs, and sepulchers of cows in huge limestone tombs.
In the first of March
March
March is in present time held to be the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is one of the seven months which are 31 days long....
2011 the village Soul in Atfih has seen skirmishes between some Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
and Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
people. And that happened because there was a relationship between a young Christian and a Muslim girl. When some people tried to blame the girl's father on, a brawl started and ended by killing the girl's father and one of his relatives. An outrage arose and Muslimes of the village went to the church of the two martyrs and set it on fire. Hence, the Christians demonstrated in front of Maspiro television building
Maspiro television building
Maspero is the name of the huge building on the bank of the Nile river in Cairo, Egypt. It is the headquarters of Egyptian television, the oldest governmental television organization in the Middle East and Africa...
demanding that the church should be built in the same place and Christians should be returned to their homes in the village safely. Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Essam Sharaf
Essam Sharaf
Essam Abdel-Aziz Sharaf is an Egyptian academic who has been Prime Minister of Egypt since 3 March 2011. He served as Minister of Transportation from 2004 to 2005.-Early life and education:...
visited them to calm the situation and the priest Mtawos Wahba has been released. the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces
Supreme Council of the Armed Forces
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces consists of a body of 20 senior officers in the Egyptian military. As a consequence of the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, the Council took the power to govern Egypt from its departing President Hosni Mubarak on February 11, 2011.The junta meets regularly, as...
pledged to rebuild the church. Some of religious, political and public figures have intervened to calm the situation, including the Islamic scholar Sheikh Mohamed Hassan, and the Islamic preacher
Preacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
Amr Khaled
Amr Khaled
Amr Mohamed Helmi Khaled is an Egyptian Muslim activist and television preacher. The New York Times Magazine, in reference to Khaled's popularity in Arab countries, described him in its April 30, 2006 issue as "the world's most famous and influential Muslim television preacher." Amr Khaled has...
.