Girga (Jirja) is a city and the seat of a district in the Governorate of Sohag in Egypt. It is located in the southern part of the governorate, 35 km south of Sohag and 85 km northwest of Qena, on the left bank of the Nile. The population of the city is 120,413 (2005).

Name
According to one version, the name of the city goes back to the name of the sister of Ramses II, whose name was Girgio. According to another version, the city owes its name to the monastery of Mary Girgis (St. George) of the Coptic Orthodox Church. To this day, there is a chair of the Bishop of the Coptic Church in Girga.

History
Legend has it that not far from Girgi was the ancient city of Thinis, where, according to the ancient Egyptian historian Manetho, the unification of Lower Egypt took place around 3100 BC. During the Ottoman rule, there was an independent vilayet in Girga, which lasted until the middle of the 18th century, when there was an outbreak of a cholera epidemic. Cholera devastated the city, the remnants of the population fled. The new founder of the city is considered to be the Sheikh of Es-Sayuta, who founded a religious school on the site of the city and built a mosque (the mosque of Es-Sayuta). The population of the city increased even more when France undertook the so-called. Egyptian campaign. The French chose Girga as a base for their troops due to the small population and the almost complete absence of resistance from the local population. After the departure of the French troops, under the rule of Muhammad Ali, Girga became the center of one of the seven administrative regions of Egypt, ranging from Assiut to Aswan. In 1960, Girga became part of the Governorate of Sohag.

Girga today
Today, Girga is a significant industrial and agricultural center in the Nile Valley. There is a sugar factory, enterprises for the production of confectionery. Pier on the Nile. Agricultural College. One of the main attractions of Girgi is the Es-Sini Mosque (Porcelain Mosque).

Girgi District
The area of ​​the Girgi administrative region is 157.59 km². Population 424,554 (2001).