a town of Egypt, situated on the eastern shore of the river Nile, about two miles west of Grand Cairo, of which it is the port town, and contains about 4000 families. It is a place of great trade, as all the vessels going up and down the Nile make some stay here. It is also at this place that they cut the banks of the river every year, in order to fill their canals and overflow the neighbouring grounds, without which the soil would produce neither grain nor herbage. E. Long. 32° N. Lat. 30°.