Zagazig

The city contains the Museum of Tal Basta Antiquities, including archaeological exhibits. The city is home to Zagazig University, founded in 1974, one of the largest universities in Egypt, with colleges in different fields of science and arts. The Archaeological Museum of the University of Zagazig exhibits significant finds from the nearby sites, Bubastis (Tell Basta) and Kufur Nigm. The most notable streets in Zagazig are Farouk Street, Government Street, Abu Hamad and El Kawmia Street.

• Name — Zagazig • Native Name — الزقازيق • Settlement Type — City • Subdivision Type — Country • Subdivision Name — Egypt • Subdivision Type1 — Governorate • Subdivision Name1 — Sharqia • Established Title — Founded • Established Date — 1830 • Area Total Km2 — 14.0 • Elevation M — 16 • Population Total — 380,000 • Population As Of — 2024 • Population Density Km2 — auto • Population Density Sq Mi — auto • Population Density Metro Km2 — auto • Population Density Metro Sq Mi — auto • Population Blank1 Title — Ethnicities • Population Density Blank1 Km2 — auto • Population Density Blank1 Sq Mi — auto • Demographics Type1 — GDP (nominal, constant 2015 values) • Demographics1 Title1 — Year • Demographics1 Info1 — 2024 • Demographics1 Title2 — Total • Demographics1 Info2 — $2.3 billion • Demographics1 Title3 — Per capita • Demographics1 Info3 — $6,053 • Area Code — +20 (55) • Timezone — EET • Utc Offset — +2 • Timezone Dst — EEST • Utc Offset Dst — +3

The city was founded in the 19th century on the site of a village called Nazlat az-Zaqāzīq which was named after the Zaqzuq family. The family's name itself comes from a dialectal word zaqzuq or ziqziq which means "A small creature" (e.g. a fish or a mouse) and comes from a Coptic word ϫⲉⲕϫⲓⲕ "Ant or other insect". The ruins of the ancient Egyptian city of Bubastis are located 3 km southeast of town. Bubastis was the ancient capital of the 18th nome, and is home to the feast celebrating the cat goddess Bastet. Bubastis is the Greek version of the Egyptian language name Pr-Bastet "House [Temple] of Bastet". Bubastis became the capital of Egypt in the 22nd and 23rd Dynasties. There are remains of the temples built by Osorkon II and Nectanebo II. Catacombs where the sacred cats were buried are located behind the remains of an Old Kingdom chapel from the period of Pepi I Meryre.

Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as hot desert (BWh), as the rest of Egypt.

• The Abaza family, the largest family in Sharqia and Egypt's largest Circassian community. • Farouk El-Baz, space scientist and geologist • Abdelhalim Hafez, Egyptian singer and actor • Ahmed Urabi, colonel who led the revolt against the British in 1882 • Carmen Suleiman, singer • Mohamed Morsi, the fifth president of Egypt • Salama Moussa, Coptic Egyptian journalist, philosopher and social critic • Ahmed Zaki, actor • John Traicos, international cricketer of Greek origin • Rushdy Abaza, actor • Fekry Pasha Abaza, journalist and political activist • Mohamed Abdelmonem, football Player