Desouk (, ) is a city in northern Egypt. Located 80 km east of Alexandria, in the Kafr El Sheikh Governorate and had a population of 137,660 inhabitants as of 2011. It is bordered to the west by the Beheira Governorate. Desouk dates back to at least c. 3200 BC and was part of the ancient city of Buto before the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt. From 1250 to 1517, the city of Desouk was part of the Gharbia province. From 1798 to 1801, it was part of the now-defunct Rosetta province. Etymology The city's name could be derived from , attested on a statuette from Sais dating to the Third Intermediate Period, through . The cult of Sobek had presence to the west of Disuq, on the other side of the Nile. Other proposal derives it from the rare Arabic verb dasaqa "to overflow (about a basin)" and its nominal form daysaq "bassin full of water" which in turn has its origin in , but it is considered implausible. Another improbable etymology is a Copto-Arabic word combining the Coptic feminine definite article ti- () with . Overview Desouk is a member of the Organization of Islamic Capitals and Cities due to the location of important Islamic shrines in the city, such as the tomb of Egyptian Sufi Saint Ibrahim El Desouki, which is located in the main mosque in the center of Desouk. Desouk lies on the Nile, on the eastern banks of the Rosetta branch, where there are only two bridges entering the city. Many important Egyptians hail from Desouk: Youssef El-Mansy, Ahmed Zewail, Mohammed Roshdy, Evelyn Ashamallah, and Abdel-Salam Mohammed Nasar, a politician in the city. Climate Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as hot desert (BWh), the same as the rest of Egypt. Notable people Mohsen Hendawy (born 1981), Egyptian footballer See also List of cities and towns in Egypt Buto Desouk SC Desouk Stadium Desouki Desouk Bridge References External links The official site of Presidency of Desouk City (Arabic) The official site of Kafr el-Sheikh Governorate (Arabic, English) The official site of Desouk City in Kafr el-Sheikh Governorate (Arabic, English) Populated places in Kafr El Sheikh Governorate Cities in ancient Egypt Populated places established in the 8th millennium BC 8th-millennium BC establishments