Hu, Egypt

Huw
هُو
Hu
Huw is located in Egypt
Huw
Huw
Location in Egypt
Coordinates: 26°1′N 32°17′E / 26.017°N 32.283°E / 26.017; 32.283
Country Egypt
GovernorateQena
MarkazNag Hammadi
Time zoneUTC+2 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3

Hu, Huw or Hiw (Arabic: هُو, Coptic: ϩⲱ, ϩⲟⲩ)[1] is the modern name of an Egyptian town on the Nile, which in more ancient times was the capital of the 7th Nome of Upper Egypt.

The nome was referred to as Sesheshet (Sistrum). The main city was referred to as Hu(t)-sekhem (Ancient Egyptian: Ḥw.t-Sḫm), which became abbreviated as Hu. This led to the Arabic name Huw.

In Ptolemaic times the city was called Diospolis Mikra (Ancient Greek: Διὸς πόλις Μικρά, lit.'lesser city of Zeus') in comparison with Thebes, Egypt, known as Diospolis Megale, "greater city of Zeus". It also was called Diospolis Superior (Upper Zeus-City), in comparison with Diospolis Inferior (Lower Zeus-City) in the Nile Delta.

Fragment of pottery used as a lamp, thought to be from the Second Intermediate Period cemetery W at Diospolis Parva (Huw), Egypt - The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, London
  1. ^ Timm, Stefan. Das christlich-koptische Agypten in arabischer Zeit. p. 1120.