6th of October City

6th of October is a city in the Giza Governorate, Egypt. It is a satellite city, located adjacent to Giza, and is part of the Greater Cairo region. The city served as the capital of the now-defunct 6th of October Governorate, which was dissolved in 2011. Established as a new city in the desert, 6th of October hosts several local and international educational facilities.

History

The settlement was established in 1979 by the 504th presidential decree of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. It is 32 km (20 mi) from the center of Cairo and 17 km (11 mi) from the great pyramid of Giza. Despite having many unfinished or vacant buildings, the city has a total area of 482 km2 (119,000 acres) and is eventually expected to have six million residents.

It was announced as the capital of the 6th of October Governorate in April 2008. Following the governorate's dissolution in April 2011, in the wake of the Egyptian revolution, it was reincorporated into the Giza Governorate, to which it had originally belonged.

The city is named after the date of commencement for Operation Badr, the 6th of October 1973, which began the October War. The same date was chosen as Egypt's Armed Forces Day.

After the start of the Syrian civil war, many Syrian refugees fled to Egypt. Many of them settled in 6th of October City, which houses a significant Syrian community today.

Climate

The Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as hot desert (BWh). Its climate is very similar to Giza and Cairo, owing to its proximity to them. That being said, some places in 6th of October are a bit colder and windier than central Cairo and Giza city at night for several reasons. This is mainly because buildings and infrastructure tend to be more spaced out, accompanied by more empty spaces, allowing for wind to pick up more easily than in the densely populated centres of Giza and Cairo. Additionally, the city was built in the desert which tends to be colder and drier than the damp humid areas closer to the Nile.