Giza is the third-largest city in Egypt by area and population, and is also the eighteenth-largest city in Africa by population. It is the capital of Giza Governorate with a total population of 4,458,135 as of 2023. It is located on the west bank of the Nile opposite central Cairo, and is a part of the Greater Cairo metropolis. Giza lies less than north of Memphis (Men-nefer, today the village of Mit Rahina), which was the capital city of the unified Egyptian state during the reign of pharaoh Narmer, roughly 3100 BC.
Giza is most famous as the location of the Giza Plateau, the site of some of the most impressive ancient monuments in the world, including a complex of ancient Egyptian royal mortuary and sacred structures, among which are the Great Sphinx, the Great Pyramid of Giza, and a number of other large pyramids and temples, and the Grand Egyptian Museum. Giza has always been a focal point in Egypt's history due to its location close to Memphis, the ancient Egyptian capital of the Old Kingdom.
In 2025, Giza was visited by 14.7 million tourists, becoming the most popular tourist destination in Egypt. Its historic centre is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Giza also hosts the headquarters of several Egyptian multinational companies and banks. Rich in ancient Egyptian heritage, hotels, restaurants, and bazaars, Giza is considered an important economic, scientific, and tourism centre of Egypt and Africa. The Giza Zoo, the first zoo built in Africa, is located in Giza. The city also is the home of the association football club Zamalek SC.
Districts and population The city of Giza is the capital of the Giza Governorate, and is located near the northeast border of this governorate.
2017 population and administrative divisions
Giza city is a municipal division and capital of Giza governorate with an appointed city head. It comprises nine districts (ahya', singl. hayy) and five new towns (mudun jadidah) administered by the New Urban Communities Authority (NUCA).
The districts/qisms fully subsume to the city head and according to the 2017 census had 4,872,448 residents: District/qismCode 2017PopulationShamal (North)/ Imbâba210100632,599Agouza, al-210200278,479Duqqî, al-21030070,926Janoub (South)/ Jîza, al-210400285,723Bûlâq al-Dakrûr210500960,031`Umrâniyya, al-210600366,066Ṭâlbiyya, al-210700457,667Ahrâm, al-210800659,305Warrâq, al-211700722,083Shaykh Zâyid, al (new city)21190090,6996 October 1 (new city)21200093,0126 October 2 (new city)212100196,3736 October 3 (new city)21230059,485 The new towns are mostly administered by the national level New Urban Communities Authority (NUCA), with some public services under the jurisdiction of Giza. They are confusingly named madina (city), however they are not administratively incorporated as such where many are formed of a single district or qism. Ones not in the 2017 census as they were not yet incorporated, or inhabited at that time are:
New 6th of October October Gardens New Sphinx
Permanently inhabited Nile islands:
Qorsaya Island (Janoub/Giza district) Dahab Island (Janoub/Giza district) Al-Warraq Island (Al-Warraq district)
2006 population The city's population was reported as 2,681,863 in the 2006 national census, while the governorate had 6,272,571 at the same census, without specifying what the city is. The former figure corresponds to the sum of nine districts/qisms.
Region(Population)Areakm2 2006 Giza, 9 kisms (contiguous) 2,681,863 98.4 Giza, 10 kisms (not contiguous) 2,822,271 115.7 Giza, 10 kisms + Giza markaz (contiguous) 3,063,777 187 Giza, 10 kisms + Giza, Kerdasa, Ossim markaz (contiguous) – 338.9
Geography and climate Giza's most famous landform and archaeological site, the Giza Plateau, holds some major monuments of Egyptian history, and is home to the Great Sphinx. Once thriving with the Nile that flowed right into the Giza Plateau, the pyramids of Giza were built overlooking the ancient Egyptian capital city of Memphis, across the river from modern day Cairo. The Great Pyramid of Giza at one time was advocated (1884) as the location for the Prime Meridian, a reference point used for determining a base longitude.
Climate Giza experiences a hot desert like arid climate (Köppen: BWh). Its climate is similar to Cairo, owing to its proximity. Windstorms can be frequent across Egypt in spring, bringing Saharan dust into the city during the months of March and April. High temperatures in winter range from , while nighttime lows drop to below . In summer, the highs are , and the lows can drop to about . Rain is infrequent in Giza; snow is extremely rare.
Up to August 2013, the highest recorded temperature was on 13 June 1965, while the lowest recorded temperature was on 8 January 1966.
History Ancient era
The area in what is now Giza served as the necropolis of several pharaohs who ruled ancient Egypt during the second millennium BC. Three of these tombs, in the form of giant pyramids, are what is now the famed Giza pyramid complex, featuring the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Great Sphinx of Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum.
Classical to medieval era
As ancient Egypt passed under several conquests under the Persians, Greeks, Romans and Byzantines, so did the area in what is now Giza. A Byzantine village named Phylake () or Terso (, meaning "the fortress", now Tersa) was located south of Giza and should not be confused with it.موسوعة " القاموس الجغرافى للبلاد المصرية " – محمد رمزى بك (قسم ثانى ج3 – ص4): مركز وثائق وتاريخ مصر المعاصر الهيئة المصرية العامةللكتاب ط 1994جغرافية مصر في العصر القبطى – الفرنسى أميلينو : الهيئة المصرية العامة للكتاب2013 ترجمة ميخائيل مكسى إسكندر – استدراكات العلامة محمد رمزى على الكتاب في الجزء الثالث من ص 274: نشر المعهد العلمى الفرنسى
Egyptians called the area Tipersis (Bohairic and Sahidic ). Eutychius gives a legend about the city's name and its foundation by Artaxerxes Ochus or Hūš (), and Abu Salih says it was found by him at the same time as Qasr ash-Sham, but as older evidence is missing, it is perhaps most likely to have been founded during the Sasanian conquest of Egypt in the early 7th century.
As Muslims of the fledgling Islamic caliphate went on with their conquest of Egypt from the Byzantine Empire beginning in 639 AD, three years after their victory at the battle of Yarmouk in 636 AD, they conquered all of the land by the time they captured the city of Alexandria in 641 AD. A year later in 642 AD (year 21 in Islamic calendar), they founded the city of Giza. The exact etymology of its name is unknown. Al-Maqrizi suggested an irregular Arameo-Arabic root meaning "edge, side" to be the source. Everett-Heath suggested "on the side of the height (pyramid)". Peust also suggests a Persian etymology of the word from , which Persians could have given to the pyramids or a fortress they found in the area.
Administration The city is managed by an appointed City Head (President of the city) and the Governor of Giza, who is appointed by the Prime Minister of Egypt. The current Governor of Giza is Major General Adel El-Ghadban (taking office in 2024).
The administration is divided into Executive Council, which is the appointed body that implements government policies and the Local People's Council, which is historically an elected body meant for local oversight (though its functions are largely centralized).
Giza City is divided into 9 urban districts, which are the primary units for day-to-day governance and public services:
North Giza (Imbaba) Agouza Dokki South Giza Bulaq el-Dakrur El-Omrania El-Talbiya El-Haram (The Pyramids district) El-Warraq
Many regional and national government entities have offices within Giza to serve the Greater Cairo area such as; the Giza Governorate Headquarters, Health Affairs Directorate, Giza Elementary Court, and Foreign Ministry Legalization Office.
Economy The city is considered a hub of Egyptian filmmaking studios such as Studio Misr and El-Ahram Studio, and several movie production companies have their headquarters in Giza.
A main source of income in Giza is tourism as a home to many historical sites including the Great Pyramid and Pyramid of Djoser and the Grand Egyptian Museum.
Chemicals is an important industry in Giza, Giza Paints & Chemical Industries was established in 1984.
Giza has many luxury apartment buildings along the Nile, making it a popular place to live.
Tourism
A vital revenue source, with millions of visitors coming to see the Giza Pyramids and ancient artifacts. Tourism revenues reached $15.3 billion nationally in 2024.
Giza Plateau
Giza Plateau has several remains from the 26th century BC such as temples and monuments to Egyptian Pharaohs including the Great Sphinx, and the Great Pyramids of Giza. The Giza Plateau also includes Saqqara, the ancient burial ground which served as the necropolis for the Ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis. It features numerous pyramids, including the world's oldest standing step pyramid, as well as a number of mastabas.
Pharaonic Village
The Jacob Island was transformed into a highly accurate replica of ancient Egyptian life, in 1974. The village contains the Mummification Museum, Replica of Tutankhamun's Tomb and Village souvenirs. Also from modern era, the village includes museums for former Presidents; Gamal Abdel Nasser Museum and Anwar Sadat.
Giza Zoo
The Giza Zoo was established on March 1, 1891, it holds the distinction of being Africa's first zoo and the world's third oldest zoological garden. Located on approximately 80 acres (32 hectares), the zoo was originally designed as a botanical garden and features several historical architectural elements.
Historical features The zoo contains several notable architectural and cultural landmarks: A suspension bridge designed by Gustave Eiffel (1875–1879), considered the world's first elevated zoo viewing platform The Japanese Kiosk, constructed in 1924 during King Fuad's reign Original gates from the Khedive's Palace and Haramlik Palace Roads paved with black stone imported from Trieste Mosaic-decorated footpaths A marble island known as Tea Island
Animal collection The zoo houses approximately 4,000 animals representing over 175 species, including: Large mammals: Lions, tigers, giraffes, rhinoceros, hippopotamuses Primates: Various monkey and ape species Birds: Native and exotic species including flamingos and rare birds Reptiles: Including Egyptian cobras and Nile crocodiles
Recent developments In 2023, the Egyptian government announced plans to expand the number of animal species from 71 to 186. The renovation project includes: Creation of specialized zones: Asia, Africa, America, Family Zone, Safari Trips Establishment of educational centers Preservation of historical landmarks Improvement of animal enclosures
Orman Garden
The garden covers about 28 acres. Today, the garden contains a rock garden, a rose garden, cactus gardens, and probably the most notable feature, the lotus pond. small botanical museum attached to the garden shelters herbaria dating from the Khedive Ismail and furniture from the king Farouk.
Infrastructure
Giza has seen many changes over time. Changes in infrastructure during thousands of years of Egyptian history. Giza is a thriving centre of Egyptian culture and is quite heavily populated, with many facilities and buildings in the current area. Giza saw much attention in particular to its vast amount of ancient Egyptian heritage on the Giza Plateau, and has astonished millions of visitors and tourists over the years.
Education
Giza's learning institutions include Cairo University, which was moved to Giza in 1924. The city is a hub of education and educational services not only for Egypt but also for the entire Mediterranean Region. Giza has numerous schools, kindergartens, and institutes of higher learning.