Al-Matariyyah
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article may need to be wikified to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please help by adding relevant internal links, or by improving the article's layout. (January 2009) |
Contents |
[edit] Geography
'Al-Matariyyah or Mataria or AI-Matariya (المطرية in Arabic) is a district in the north of Greater Cairo near Ain Shams district which was also a part of the ancient Heliopolis city.
In the west of the district - along the Ismailiya canal - within the industrial area of Musturud, oil companies (Shell, Misr Petrol, General Association of Oil in Egypt), and food industries like “Bisko Misr” and “Misr lil Albaan” are located.[1]
It is unrelated to Al-Matariyyah city in Ad Daqahliyah Governorate near Mansoura city and Manzala Lake and city.
[edit] Name
Al-Matariyyah name is thought to come from Latin name of Mater which mean mother, it is thought that this name is due to the presence of the Mary tree in this district.
[edit] History
- Beside its well known history during pharaonic time as a part of Heliopolis.
- Also Pierre Belon du Mans also mentions visiting Matariya in his travel to Egypt in 1547.[1]
[edit] Famous places
- At AI-Matariya the Holy Family sheltered under a tree known nowadays by the tree of the Virgin Mary.[2]
- Al-Mataryiah used to contain many villas of prominent people like Ahmed Shawqi the famous Egyptian poet, he named it Kormet Ibn Hane. He used to live in it until he was exiled from Egypt in World War I.[2]
- Also the district contain the Masalla or Misalla[3] المسلة(Obelisk in Arabic) area which contain one of the Obelisks that are still present in Egypt. It is the only surviving part of the great temple of Re-Atum in Heliopolis constructed by Senusret I the great Pharaoh.
 Caption1 |
 Caption2 |
- Also in 2001 the tomb of aja-Hur, a well known architect was discovered[4].
- In 2004 a pharaonic tomb was discovered in the district[5]
- In 2006 a pink granite colossus, weighing five tonnes, whose features resemble those of Ramses II in the remains of a sun temple dating back to the reign of King Ramses II at the site of Souk El-Khamis in Matariya.[3]
- Helwan university Faculty of engineering.
- Souk El-Khamis (The Thursday market).
- Tell el-Tawil were bull burials.
- The Chapel of the Virgin [6]
- El-Matariya tombs of High Priests of the Sixth Dynasty were found in El-Matariya in the southeast corner of the temple[7].
- El-Matariya Necropolis some 3 mi/5 km east of the obelisk is the Necropolis of Heliopolis, dating from the Middle and New Kingdoms.[8]
- Al-Matariyyah teaching hospital and The national urology institute.
- Desert Research Center established by Laszlo Almasy.
[edit] References
- ^ Said Samir - Street Food Vending in Matariya
- ^ My Father Shawky by Hussin Ahmed Shawky 2nd edition (in arabic) General authority of culture palaces 2006 Cairo
- ^ Al-Ahram Weekly | Egypt | Empire of the sun
1. http://www.ssamir.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25&Itemid=40
2. "My Father Shawky" by Hussin Ahmed Shawky 2nd edition (in Arabic) General authority of culture palaces 2006 Cairo
3. http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2006/784/eg4.htm
[edit] See also
- http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2005/744/fe1.htm
- Other bibliography on Mataryia history http://www.ees.ac.uk/deltasurvey/matariya.html
|
|||||
