Minya, Egypt

Location of Al Minya on the map of Egypt.

Al Minya is a city in Egypt. It is the capital of Al Minya Governorate. The name of the city is derived from its Egyptian name Men'at Khufu. The name may also originate from the city's name in Sahidic Coptic Tmoone (ⲧⲙⲟⲟⲛⲉ) and in Bohairic: Thmonē (ⲑⲙⲟⲛⲏ), meaning “the residence”, in reference to a monastery formerly in the area.

Al Minya lies on the west bank of the Nile. It is dubbed by the locals "Bride of Upper Egypt" (Arabic:عروس الصعيد). This represents its strategic location in Middle Egypt as a vital link between the north and the south of Egypt. This name may also be an analogy with Alexandria, nicknamed the "Bride of the Mediterranean Sea". The name could also refer to a famous ancient Egyptian tradition, possibly near one of the local ancient sites, known as the bride of the Nile. This was a sacrificial practice of sinking the statue of a woman into the River Nile as a token wife for the annual flood to come high and early.