Beheira Governorate

Beheira Governorate
محافظة البحيرة
Governorate
Flag of Beheira Governorate
Flag
Official logo of Beheira Governorate
Seal
Beheira Governorate subdivisions
Beheira Governorate subdivisions
Beheira Governorate on the map of Egypt
Beheira Governorate on the map of Egypt
Coordinates: 30°37′N 30°26′E / 30.61°N 30.43°E / 30.61; 30.43
Country Egypt
SeatDamanhur (capital)
Government
 • GovernorJacqueline Azer
Area
 • Total
9,826 km2 (3,794 sq mi)
Population
 (January 2024)
 • Total
6,992,742
 • Density711.7/km2 (1,843/sq mi)
GDP
 • TotalEGP 289 billion
(US$ 18.4 billion)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EGY)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
ISO 3166 codeEG-BH
HDI (2023)0.740
high · 16th
Websitebehira.gov.eg

Beheira (Arabic: محافظة البحيرة, romanized: Muḥāfaẓat al-Buḥayra, Egyptian Arabic pronunciation: [moˈħɑfzˤet elbeˈħeːɾæ]; lit. 'Governorate of the Lake') is a coastal governorate in northern Egypt. Located in the northern part of the country in the Nile Delta, its capital is Damanhur.

Overview

Wadi El Natrun - El Alamein Rd, El Beheira Governorate, Egypt

Beheira Governorate enjoys an important strategical location, west of the Rosetta branch of the Nile. It comprises four important highways, namely the Cairo-Alexandria desert road, the Cairo agricultural road, the international road, and the circular road. Beheira Governorate is also home to a number of the most important Coptic monasteries in Wadi El Natrun (Scetes).

Beheira consists of 13 marakez and 14 cities, and contains important industries such as cotton, chemicals, carpets, electricity, and fishing.

The governorate has a noteworthy number of archaeological sites, including at Abu El Matamir, Abu Hummus, Damanhour, Rosetta (Rashid), and Kafr El Dawwar. Coins, lamps, animal bones, and pottery from Roman and later Eastern Roman (Byzantine) eras are some of the archaeological finds discovered at Kom El Giza, and Kom El Hamam in Beheira.

In 2017, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi appointed the first female governor in the country's history, Nadia Ahmed Abdou, for Beheira Governorate.

Municipal divisions

The governorate is divided into the following municipal divisions for administrative purposes, with a total estimated population as of January 2024 of 6,992,742. In some instances there is a markaz and a kism with the same name.

Municipal Divisions
Anglicized nameNative nameArabic transliterationPopulation
(January 2023 Est.)		Type
Abu El Matamirمركز ابو المطاميرAbū al-Maṭāmīr603,640Markaz
Abu Hummusمركز أبو حمصAbū Ḥummuṣ581,820Markaz
El Delengatمركز الدلنجاتAd-Dilinjāt400,570Markaz
Mahmoudiyahمركز المحموديةAl-Maḥmūdiyah305,974Markaz
Rahmaniyaمركز الرحمانيةAr-Raḥmāniyah176,315Markaz
Badrمركز بدرBadr208,542Markaz
Damanhourقسم دمنهورDamanhūr327,352Kism (fully urban)
Damanhourمركز دمنهورDamanhūr586,244Markaz
West Nubariyahقسم غرب النوباريةGharb an-Nūbāriyah130,405Kism (urban and rural parts)
Hosh Essaمركز حوش عيسىḤawsh 'Īsā339,556Markaz
Edkuمركز إدكوIdkū257,873Markaz
Itay El Barudمركز إيتاى البارودItyāy al-Bārūd476,197Markaz
Kafr El Dawwarقسم كفر الدوارKafr ad-Dawwār344,133Kism (urban and rural parts)
Kafr El Dawwarمركز كفر الدوارKafr ad-Dawwār749,595Markaz
Kom Hamadaمركز كوم حمادةKawm Ḥamādah496,752Markaz
Rosettaمركز رشيدRashīd309,188Markaz
Shubrakhitمركز شبرا خيتShubrākhīt302,429Markaz
Natrn Valleyمركز وادى النطرونWadi an-Natrun90,576Markaz

Population

According to population estimates, in 2024 the majority of residents in the governorate lived in rural areas, with an urbanization rate of only 19.5%. Out of an estimated 6,992,742 people residing in the governorate, 5,629,157 people lived in rural areas as opposed to only 1,363,585 in urban areas.

Archaeology

In March 2026, archaeologists from the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the discovery of a 5th-century CE building at the Qalaye site in Hosh Issa, identified as a monastic guesthouse from the early period of Coptic monasticism. The structure, consisting of multiple rooms and functional spaces, was likely used to host visitors and monks, reflecting a transition from isolated ascetic practices to more organized, semi-communal religious life. Architectural features, including decorated elements and designated communal areas, provide valuable insights into the evolution of early monastic complexes and daily life within one of Egypt’s major monastic centers.

Cities and towns

Notable people

Industrial zones

According to the Governing Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI), the following industrial zones are located in Beheira:

Zone name
New El Nubaria Industrial Zone

Projects and programs

In 1981, the Basic Village Service Program (BVS), under the auspices of USAID, had several water, road, and other projects, going on in several markazes in Beheira Governorate.

In 2018 the governorate council discussed a campaign of mosquito control and animal control to avert the spread of preventable diseases.

References

  1. ↑ "Et guide: 19 women appointed in Egypt's cabinet, governors reshuffle". 3 July 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 "El-Beheira Governorate". sis.gov.eg. 24 May 2016.
  3. 1 2 https://www.capmas.gov.eg/Admin/Pages%20Files/202331512347%D8%B9%D8%AF%D8%AF%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%83%D8%A7%D9%86%20%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89%20%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%89%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%83%D8%B2%20%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%85%20%D9%81%D9%89%201%D9%80%201%D9%80%202023.pdf. Retrieved 2 April 2023. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. ↑ "GDP BY GOVERNORATE", mped.gov.eg
  5. ↑ "Sub-national HDI - Subnational HDI - Table - Global Data Lab". globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  6. ↑ "Al-Buḥayrah GOVERNORATE, EGYPT". britannica.
  7. ↑ Wilson, Penelope Grigoropoulos, Dimitris (2009). West Delta Regional Survey, Beheira and Kafr el-Sheikh provinces. Excavation memoir. London : Egypt Exploration Society. ISBN 9780856981944. OCLC 690191661.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
  8. ↑ Bergmann, Marianne; Heinzelmann, Michael. "Schedia Project at Kom El Giza / Kom El Haman" (PDF). archaeologie.uni-koeln.de. University of Goettingen/Germany at Schedia.
  9. ↑ "Egypt's first-ever female governor marches to a different drummer". Al-Monitor. 2017-02-22. Archived from the original on 2017-02-23. Retrieved 2017-02-22.
  10. ↑ "Population Estimates By Sex & Governorate 1/1/2015" (PDF). CAPMAS. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2015-10-19. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  11. ↑ "Egypt uncovers 5th-century Coptic monastic guesthouse in Beheira - Coptic - Antiquities". Ahram Online. Retrieved 2026-03-24.
  12. ↑ "Egypt, 5th century A.D. building found linked to early phase of Coptic monastic life". www.finestresullarte.info. Retrieved 2026-03-24.
  13. ↑ Carvajal, Guillermo (2026-03-23). "Archaeological discovery from the 5th century in the Nile Delta: the second-largest monastic complex in the history of Egyptian Christianity". LBV Magazine English Edition. Retrieved 2026-03-24.
  14. ↑ "Industrial Zones of Governorate". Ministry of Investment Egypt. Archived from the original on 2018-11-23. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  15. ↑ "Egypt: The Basic Village Services Program" (PDF). USAID. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-10-19. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  16. ↑ Qassam, Hamdi (19 November 2018). "Secretary General discusses stray dogs and mosquitoes in the lake". Al Masry Al Youm. Archived from the original on 2018-11-20. Retrieved 2018-11-20.