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Giza (Arabic, الجيزة, transliterated al-ǧīzah; pronounced in the Egyptian Arabic dialect of Cairo eg-Gīza; also sometimes rendered in English as Gizeh, Ghizeh, or Geezeh) is a town in Egypt on the west bank of the Nile river, some 20 km southwest of central Cairo and now part of the greater Cairo metropolis. It is the capital of the Al Jizah Governorate, and is located in the northeast of this governorate, near its border.
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, including the Great Sphinx, the Great Pyramid of Giza, and a number of other large pyramids and temples.
Giza was once used as a meridian reference point for determining a base longitude, presumably at the site of the Great Pyramid. See Prime Meridian.
History
Giza's most famous archeological site, the Giza Plateau, holds some of the most astonishing monuments in Ancient Egyptian history. Once thriving with the Nile that flowed right into the Giza Plateau, the Pyramids of Giza were built overlooking the Ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis, which was near modern day Cairo during the time of construction.
The city itself has seen some changes over time. Changes in infrastructure during the different occupations of Egypt by various rulers, including the British in the 19th and early 20th century, focused on the construction of roads, streets, and buildings in the area. It is commonly misunderstood that the Giza area is a complete desert area; however, Giza has become 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 monuments found on the Giza Plateau, and has astonished thousands of visitors and tourists over the years. Giza's infrastructure saw much attention from both the British government prior to the Egyptian Revolution, as well as the current Egyptian government due to the city's importance in tourism.
Parts of Giza include Alharam famous in the past for its night clubs, Zamalek predominately populated by middle class egyptians & relatively recently overpopulated Almohandeseen.
International Access
Access to the city of Giza, which has its own Governorate adjacent to the governate of Cairo, is dependent on Cairo International Airport, since no official International Airport has been built in Giza yet.
Upon reaching Cairo, most tourists use official tours to visit the pyramids where they are accompanied by an official tour guide. Giza is still accessible by the Cairo Metro system or by taxi, though these methods tend to be more frustrating to foreign tourists.
Fictional References
Giza is also known for its appearance as a dig and discovery site in the fictional universe of Stargate. An interplanetary transportation device is found and is the central basis for a movie and 2 popular television shows.
See also
External links
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"Giza"