Mit Ghamr

Mit Ghamr (Egyptian Arabic: ميت غمر, IPA: [ˈmiːt ˈɣɑmɾ]) is a city in Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt. It is located on the banks of the Damietta branch, an eastern distributary of the Nile Delta. It is a major center for the aluminium industry, accounting for more than 70% of Egypt's total production, especially aluminium utensils. Mit Ghamr is the second largest city in Dakahlia Governorate, beside the city of Mansoura. The city is historically important as a center of Sufism during the Mamluk era. The city was destroyed three times by fires, the most severe of which occurred in 1902, and each time it was rebuilt. In the modern era it was settled by foreign communities, with a number of notable acts of resistance to the French and British occupations occurring in the city. Mit Ghamr is one of the Egyptian cities that declared its independence in the 1919 Egyptian revolution through what became known as the Sultanate of Mit Ghamr. It is also known as the birthplace of the first savings bank in the Middle East and the first modern Islamic bank in the world.

Etymology

Mit Ghamr was historically known as "Minyat Ghamr" (Arabic: منية غمر), but over time, the name evolved into its current form, The word "Minyat" has an Arabic origin meaning "an elegant house surrounded by gardens." Some researchers believe that "Mit" comes from a Coptic word of ancient Egyptian origin meaning "road" or another word meaning "place." However, researchers favor the Arabic origin of the word, given the widespread use of "Minyat" in the names of Egyptian villages and cities during the Islamic era.