Beni Suef
The capital of the Beni Suef governorate, Beni
Suef is an important agricultural center which grew from a small
village since the turn of the century and now hosts a population
of over 150,000. It is famous for its linen manufacturing in
the Middle Ages, and continues to be heavily involved in cotton-spinning
and carpet making. Located about 75 miles south of Cairo, the
Meidum Pyramid is nearby, as is the Fayoum Oasis.
The most interesting aspect of Beni Suef is the Museum. The
first floor of the museum is devoted to Pharaonic items such
as statues, canopic jars and saarcophagi and various Graeco-Roman
items. Most of these items came from nearby Abusir and Heracleopolis
Magna. The second floor is devoted to Coptic and Muslim items
which came from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
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