Helwan(Arabic:حلوانḤalwān,IPA:[ħalˈwaːn],Coptic:ϩⲁⲗⲟⲩⲁⲛ,romanized:Halwan[1]) is a suburban district in the Southern Area ofCairo,Egypt.[2]The area of Helwan witnessedprehistoric,ancient Egyptian,RomanandMuslim eraactivity. More recently it was designated as a city until as late as the 1960s,[3]before it became contiguous with the city of Cairo and was incorporated as adistrict.For a brief period between April 2008 and April 2011 it was redesignated as a city, and served as the capital of the now defunctHelwan Governoratethat was split fromCairoandGiza governorates,before being re-incorporated back into them.[4]Thekismof Helwan had a population of 521,239 in the 2017census.[5]
Helwan
حلوان ϩⲁⲗⲟⲩⲁⲛ | |
|---|---|
District of Cairo | |
| Hayy Helwan | |
 Farouk's palace | |
  Helwan Location in Egypt | |
| Coordinates:29°50′43″N31°20′00″E/ 29.84528°N 31.33333°E | |
| Country | Egypt |
| Governorate | Cairo |
| Area | |
• Total | 25 sq mi (65 km2) |
| Population (2017) | |
• Total | 521,239 |
| Time zone | UTC+2(EST) |
History
editThe Helwan and Isnian cultures of the lateEpipalaeolithic,and their Ouchata retouch methods for creating microlithic tools may have contributed to the development of theHarifiancultural assemblage of theSinai,[citation needed]which may have introducedProto-Semitic languagesinto the Middle East. Around 3000 to 2600 BC, there was acemetery near Helwanserving the city ofMemphis.[6]
The city of Helwan was founded in 689 CE asFustat's temporary replacement as the capital of Umayyad Egypt by its governorAbd al-Aziz ibn Marwan,who died in the new city.[7]
The Khedivial Astronomical Observatory was built here 1903–1904, and was used to observeHalley's comet.Egypt's oldest and largest private psychiatric clinic, theBehman Hospital,was constructed here in 1939.[8]
During the early part of the 20th century, the city was the site ofRAF Helwan,a major British airfield, which was later used by theEgyptian Air Force.[citation needed]
In 1959 Helwan was chosen to serve as a site of a major industrial city, as part of PresidentGamal Abdel Nasser'sattempts to industrialize Egypt. Throughout the 1960s, it developed into a massivesteelworkszone, with numerous automobile factories being built. The site continues to use electricity from theAswan Damand iron ore from Egypt's western deserts. Helwan was gradually transformed into a mass suburb of Cairo for the working class.[9]
Helwan Governorate
editIn April 2008, theHelwan Governoratewas split from theCairo Governorate,encompassing most of the districts outside thering road,as well as all satellite cities (15th May,New Cairo,Shorouk,Badr,and Huckstep) and the undeveloped desert.[10]Helwan was elevated to city status, incorporating the districts of al-Ma'sara, 'Ain Helwan (qism Helwan), and al-Mustaqbal (prev. 15th May), and became the capital of the new governorate.[11]Maadiwas also elevated to city status, incorporating the districts of Maadi, Tora, al-Tibin and al-Nahda.[11]Helwan Governorate later incorporated the rural counties (marakiz, sing.markaz) ofAl-SafandAtfihfrom theGiza Governorate'sformer jurisdiction east of the Nile.[12]
Following the dissolution of the Helwan Governorate in April 2011, all cities and districts returned to their previous statuses, and the city of Helwan was reincorporated as a district.[4]
-
Helwan points (Abu Salem points sub-type) -
Map of the Levantine sites with Helwan points
Ecclesiastical history
editAlphocranon was important enough in the LateRoman provinceofArcadia Aegyptito be asuffraganof its Metropolitan Archbishop ofOxyrhynchus.
Its bishop, Harpocration, participated in theFirst Council of Nicaeain 325. The bishopric is mentioned in twoNotitiae Episcopatuum.[13][14]
Titular see
editNo longer a residential diocese, Alphocranon is today listed by theCatholic Churchas aLatin Catholictitular bishopric,[15]nominally restoring the diocese since 1933, but no incumbent is recorded.
Administrative subdivisions and population
editIn the 2017 census, Helwan had 521,239 residents in 8 shiakhas:[5]
| Shiakha | Code 2017 | Population |
|---|---|---|
| `Ayn Ḥulwân | 010208 | 34800 |
| Kafr al-`Uluw | 010207 | 73561 |
| Masâkin al-Iqtiṣâdiyya, al- | 010201 | 98831 |
| Ḥulwân al-balad | 010203 | 106302 |
| Ḥulwân al-baḥriyya | 010202 | 13328 |
| Ḥulwân al-gharbiyya | 010205 | 44775 |
| Ḥulwân al-qibliyya | 010206 | 15384 |
| Ḥulwân al-sharqiyya | 010204 | 134258 |
Economy
edit
Local industry includesiron,steel,textilesandcement.The area has hotsulphur springs,an astronomical observatory, theHelwan Universityand a burial chamber (discovered in 1946). It is the southern terminus of Cairo's light railMetro Line 1.Alsotramsin Helwan used to serve the people.
Climate
editKöppen-Geiger climate classification systemclassifies its climate ashot desert(BWh). Owing to its proximity toCairo,its average monthly temperatures are quite similar, but it has a quite different distribution ofhumidityand its diurnal average temperature variation is slightly larger.
| Climate data for Helwan | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 30.4 (86.7) |
33.2 (91.8) |
37.2 (99.0) |
42.4 (108.3) |
46.6 (115.9) |
47.4 (117.3) |
44.1 (111.4) |
43.8 (110.8) |
44.0 (111.2) |
40.2 (104.4) |
35.9 (96.6) |
29.8 (85.6) |
47.4 (117.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 18.5 (65.3) |
20.4 (68.7) |
23.4 (74.1) |
28.5 (83.3) |
32.2 (90.0) |
34.3 (93.7) |
35.0 (95.0) |
34.6 (94.3) |
32.6 (90.7) |
29.3 (84.7) |
24.5 (76.1) |
19.5 (67.1) |
27.7 (81.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 13.0 (55.4) |
14.5 (58.1) |
16.9 (62.4) |
21.4 (70.5) |
24.7 (76.5) |
27.3 (81.1) |
27.7 (81.9) |
27.6 (81.7) |
25.8 (78.4) |
23.3 (73.9) |
18.8 (65.8) |
14.4 (57.9) |
21.3 (70.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 7.9 (46.2) |
8.9 (48.0) |
10.9 (51.6) |
14.3 (57.7) |
17.3 (63.1) |
19.9 (67.8) |
20.9 (69.6) |
21.1 (70.0) |
19.8 (67.6) |
17.6 (63.7) |
13.7 (56.7) |
9.8 (49.6) |
15.2 (59.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −3.4 (25.9) |
2.2 (36.0) |
1.2 (34.2) |
6.6 (43.9) |
10.6 (51.1) |
13.8 (56.8) |
15.0 (59.0) |
11.2 (52.2) |
14.4 (57.9) |
10.8 (51.4) |
3.7 (38.7) |
2.8 (37.0) |
−3.4 (25.9) |
| Averageprecipitationmm (inches) | 5 (0.2) |
3 (0.1) |
2 (0.1) |
1 (0.0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
2 (0.1) |
5 (0.2) |
18 (0.7) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 2.5 |
| Averagerelative humidity(%) | 62 | 57 | 54 | 43 | 41 | 45 | 52 | 56 | 56 | 55 | 58 | 61 | 53 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 220.8 | 211.7 | 266.3 | 275.8 | 314.6 | 357.5 | 350.2 | 337.8 | 282.7 | 289.6 | 244.1 | 197.1 | 3,348.2 |
| Source: NOAA[16] | |||||||||||||
Notability
edit- Sadd el-Kafara,one of the earliest prehistoric man-made dams in the world.
- Harold Knox-Shaw,one of the earliest astronomy specialists in Helwan Observatory.
- John Reynolds,one of the earliest astronomy specialists in Helwan Observatory & president of the EnglishRoyal Astronomical Societybetween 1935 and 1937.
- Operation Priha:Helwan was targeted in Priha-1.
- Tewfik Pashadied in his palace at Helwan.
- The6th Armoured Division (South Africa)was present at Helwan during WW II.
- The82-BM-37is known as "Helwan M-69 82mm mortar".
- Abdul Rahman Hassan AzzamPasha lived in Helwan.
- Moataz Enowas born in Helwan.
- Cars produced at Helwan:
- Nasr 128
- Sahin 1.4S
- Sahin 1.6SL
- Zastava FloridaIn
- Fiat 1100
- Fiat 1300/1500
- Fiat 2300
- Polski Fiat 125p/FSO 125p
- FSO PolonezMR'83/MR'85
- FSO Polonez MR'86/MR'87/MR'89
- Fiat Ritmo
- Fiat Regata
- Fiat Tempra
- The EnglishMiddle East Command Camouflage Directoratewas present in Helwan.
- Geoffrey Barkasdesigned theOperation Bertramwhile headingMiddle East Command Camouflage Directorate.
- A crater on the951 Gaspraasteroid was named after the spa city of Helwan.
- Inebu-hedj
See also
edit- List of ancient Egyptian sites,including sites of temples
- 15th of May
- Greater Cairo
- Helwan retouch
- Helwan University
- El Tebin
- Maadi
References
edit- ^Emile, Amélineau (1893).La géographie de l'Egypte à l'époque copte.Paris: Imprimerie nationale. p. 584.
- ^"Southern Area".cairo.gov.eg.Retrieved21 February2023.
- ^"Minister of Justice Decree 272/1961".The Official Gazette.1961. Archived fromthe originalon 21 February 2023.Retrieved21 February2023.
- ^ab"Supreme Council of the Armed Forces Decree 63/2011".The Official Gazette.2011. Archived fromthe originalon 21 February 2023.Retrieved21 February2023.
- ^abCentral Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS) (2017)."2017 Census for Population and Housing Conditions".CEDEJ-CAPMAS.Retrieved21 February2023.
- ^van den Brink, Edwin C. M.; Köhler, Christiana E.; Smythe, Jane C. (25 March 2022), Graff, Gwenola; Jiménez Serrano, Alejandro (eds.),"Intact wine jars with pre-firing potmarks from the Early Dynastic cemetery at Helwan, Egypt",Préhistoires de l'écriture,Préhistoires de la Méditerranée, Aix-en-Provence: Presses universitaires de Provence, pp. 63–86,ISBN979-10-320-0369-5,retrieved21 February2023
- ^Kennedy, Hugh(1998)."Egypt as a Province in the Islamic Caliphate, 641–868".In Petry, Carl F. (ed.).Cambridge History of Egypt, Volume One: Islamic Egypt, 640–1517.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 71.ISBN0-521-47137-0.
- ^"our history – The Behman hospital".behman.Retrieved9 January2024.
- ^Beattie, Andrew. (2005)Cairo: A Cultural and Literary History.Signal Books. p. 196.ISBN9781902669779
- ^"Presidential Decree 114/2008".The Official Gazette.2008.
- ^ab"Prime Ministerial Decree 2994/2008".The Official Gazette.2008.
- ^"Presidential Decree 124/2008".The Official Gazette.2008.
- ^Siméon Vailhé, v.Alphocranon,inDictionnaire d'Histoire et de Géographie ecclésiastiques,vol. XII, Paris 1953, col. 677
- ^Klaas A. Worp,A Checklist of Bishops in Byzantine Egypt (A.D. 325 - c. 750),inZeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik100 (1994) 283-318
- ^Annuario Pontificio 2013(Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2013ISBN978-88-209-9070-1), p. 829
- ^"Helwan Climate Normals 1961–1990".National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.Retrieved25 June2015.
External links
edit
- (in German)Helwan on Wikivoyage
- GCatholic