List of cities and towns in Egypt

Last updated

General map of Egypt, with main cities Egypt-region-map-cities.gif
General map of Egypt, with main cities

The cities and towns of Egypt are the urban administrative units of the Republic of Egypt. Egypt comprises 249 populated cities within the country's 27 governorates. [1] [2] Some of these cities fall directly under the authority of the governorate in which they are located, while others are managed by the New Urban Communities Authority, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities. The New Urban Communities Authority was established to create new urban centers to attract residents away from the Nile Valley and Delta. [3]

Contents

Besides being one the first states in the history of the world, and one of the oldest cradles of human civilization, Egypt is also one of the oldest in terms of urban development. [4] [5] Urban formation in the country began in prehistoric times, starting with the formation of villages consisting of groups of Egyptian families living together in one place, on or near the banks of the Nile River. [6] [7] Each village had its own deity. The Egyptians then began to utilize the Nile River, digging canals and waterways to facilitate agriculture. Cities began to emerge through the merging of groups of villages, each with its own ruler and deity. Temples were built, markets arose, and trade and industry flourished alongside agriculture throughout ancient Egyptian history. Some ancient cities have survived to the present day for thousands of years. [8] The establishment of cities has continued throughout history as needed, whether to attract populations and reduce overcrowding in certain areas, or for specific purposes such as industry and trade, or as garrisons and border posts to protect the country along its land or sea borders. The Egyptian Constitution guarantees the possibility of establishing new administrative units, such as cities, and modifying or abolishing their administrative boundaries, taking into account economic and social conditions as regulated by Egyptian law. [9]

0-9

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

W

Z

cities and towns that need to be added

A

B

Largest cities

Name Arabic Governorate Area code Population (2023 estimate) [12] Photo
Cairo* القاهرة Cairo (+20) 29,801,536 Egypt-2B-002 - Cairo at Night (2217349566).jpg
Alexandria الاسكندرية Alexandria (+20) 35,362,517 AlexandriaSkyline.jpg
Giza* الجيزة Giza (+20) 24,458,135 Giza-pyramids.JPG
Shubra El Kheima* شبرا الخيمة Qalyubia (+20) 21,275,700 3-D Building on Google Map - panoramio.jpg
Port Said بور سعيد Port Said (+20) 60791,749 Port said egypt (6).JPG
Suez السويس Suez (+20) 60716,458 EG-suez-20-bg-suez.jpg
Mansoura المنصورة Dakahlia (+20) 50632,330 Mansoura University.jpg
El Mahalla El Kubra المحلة الكبرى Gharbia (+20) 40614,202 El Mahalla El Kobra gate.JPG
Tanta طنطا Gharbia (+20) 40597,694 Tanta-1.jpg
Asyut اسيوط Asyut (+20) 88562,061 lm`hd ldyny - 'sywT - mSr - The Religious Institute - Assiut - Egypt.JPG
Faiyum الفيوم Faiyum (+20) 84531,861 jbl nqlwn mdyn@ lfywm ljdyd@ 33.jpg
Khusus* الخصوص Qalyubiyya 502,864
Zagazig الزقازيق Sharqia +(20) 55460,501 Zagazig, El-Hariry, Qesm Awal AZ Zagazig, Ash Sharqia Governorate, Egypt - panoramio (1).jpg
Ismailia الاسماعيلية Ismailia (+20) 69

(+20) 64

450,388 EG-suez-13-bg-ismailia.jpg
Aswan اسوان Aswan (+20) 97401,890 Panoramic view of Aswan 2, Egypt.jpg
6th of October (city)* السادس من أكتوبر Giza 376,302 October Gardens (city) in Giza Governorate, Egypt.jpg
Damanhur دمنهور Beheira (+20) 45329,572 Damanhour at Night.jpg
New Cairo* القاهرة الجديدة Cairo (+20) 2319,488 Madinaty.JPG
Damietta دمياط Damietta (+20) 57312,863 Damietta City and the Nile.jpg
Minya المنيا Minya (+20) 86298,021 Akhenaten museum in Minya - Egypt.jpg
Beni Suef بنى سويف Beni Suef (+20) 82294,125 Beni-Suef University main bldg.jpg
Luxor الاقصر Luxor (+20) 95284,952 LuxorAerialView.jpg
Sohag سوهاج Sohag (+20) 93278,425 SohagNasrCity.jpg
Shibin El Kom شبين الكوم Monufia (+20) 48277,991 kwbry `mr fndy.jpg
Qena قنا Qena (+20) 96264,498 qn 2013.jpg
10th of Ramadan العاشر من رمضان Sharqia 263,321 mdkhl mdyn@ l`shr mn rmDn.jpg
Mallawi ملوي Minya (+20) 86223,435 Mallawi.jpg
Hurghada الغردقة Red Sea (+20) 65214,247 2009-08-13Hurghada.jpg
Arish العريش North Sinai (+20) 68204,391 nkhyl l`rysh.jpg
Kafr El Sheikh كَفرُ الشَّيْخ Kafr El Sheikh (+20) 47198,197 Ubour Hospital-Kafr El-Sheikh City.JPG
Bilbeis بلبيس Sharqia 198,167 Belbeis (2).jpg
Marsa Matrouh مرسى مطروح Matrouh (+20) 46193,293 20191112 165747jpg.jpg
Banha بنها Qalyubia (+20) 13187,469 Banha-st.jpg

* Cities that are part of Greater Cairo metropolitan area.

See also

Further reading

References

  1. "Egypt Cities Database | Simplemaps.com". simplemaps.com. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  2. "Egypt Cities by Population 2026". World Population Review. 9 January 2026. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  3. "List of cities and towns in Egypt | Britannica". Encyclopedia Britannica. Archived from the original on 15 August 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  4. Livesay, Jacob. "What is the oldest country in the world? Why historians debate which came first". USA TODAY. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  5. "Timeline of ancient Egypt". The British Museum. Archived from the original on 7 September 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  6. "Major Cities in Egypt: A Guide for Travelers". egyptunitedtours.com. 19 August 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  7. "Ancient Egypt | History, Government, Culture, Map, Gods, Religion, Rulers, Art, Writing, & Facts | Britannica". Encyclopedia Britannica. Archived from the original on 15 January 2026. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  8. "Egypt: Governorates, Major Cities & Towns - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information". citypopulation.de. Archived from the original on 10 December 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  9. "Ancient Egypt: Civilization, Empire & Culture". HISTORY. 14 October 2009. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  10. Elsirgany, Soha (15 October 2016). "Artists bring colour and hope to Egypt's El-Borollos as part of a two week symposium". Ahram Online.
  11. "About Sars El Lyan". monofeya.gov.
  12. "Egypt: Governorates, Major Cities & Towns - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 9 August 2025.