"Gizeh" redirects here. For the name of a German brand of cigarette rolling papers, see Mascotte (rolling papers).

"Jizah" redirects here. For the Wu-Tang Clan member and rapper, see GZA.

Giza الجيزة ⲅⲓⲍⲁ
Pyramid Street in Giza
Giza
Coordinates: 30°01′N 31°13′E / 30.017°N 31.217°E / 30.017; 31.217
Country	Egypt
Governorate	Giza
Population
• Total	2,681,863
Time zone	EST (UTC+2)

Giza (Coptic: ⲅⲓⲍⲁ Gee-zah, Arabic: الجيزة‎ Al-Ğīzah), sometimes spelt Gizah, is the third largest city in Egypt. It is located on the west bank of the Nile River, some 20 km (12.43 mi) southwest of central Cairo. Along with Shubra El-Kheima, Cairo and Helwan, the four cities form the Province of Greater Cairo metropolis. The city of Giza is the capital of the Giza Governorate, and is located near the northeast border of this governorate in coordinates. It is located right on the banks of the River Nile. The city's population was 2,681,863 in the 2006 national census, while the governorate had 6,272,571 at the same census. Its large population makes it the second largest suburb in the world, tied with Incheon, South Korea and Quezon City, Philippines, second only to Yokohama, Japan.

Giza is most famous as the location of the Giza Plateau: the site of some of the most impressive ancient monuments in the world, including a complex of ancient Egyptian royal mortuary and sacred structures, including the Great Sphinx, the Great Pyramid of Giza, and a number of other large pyramids and temples. The plateau and its monuments have been recorded in the Giza Plateau Mapping Project run by Ancient Egypt Research Associates, directed by Dr. Mark Lehner.^[1] AERA's 2009 field season was recorded in a blog.^[2]

The Great Pyramid of Giza at one time was advocated (1884) as the location for the Prime Meridian, a reference point used for determining a base longitude.^[3]

History[link]

"Mn Nefer" (Memphis, in Greek) - which means "the beautiful wall" in the ancient Egyptian language -, the capital city of the first unified Egyptian state since the days of Pharaoh King Narmer, lies nearly 20 km (12.43 mi) south of Giza. Giza's most famous archaeological site, the Giza Plateau, holds some of the most astonishing monuments in Egyptian history. Once thriving with the Nile that flowed right into the Giza Plateau, the pyramids of Giza were built overlooking the ancient Egyptian capital city of Memphis, which was near modern day Cairo.

The Giza Plateau is also home to many other ancient Egyptian monuments, including the tomb of Pharaoh Djet of the First Dynasty, as well as that of Pharaoh Ninetjer of the Second Dynasty.

Infrastructure[link]

Giza has seen many changes over time. Changes in infrastructure during the different occupations of Egypt by various rulers, including the British in the 18th and early 20th century, focused on the construction of roads, streets, and buildings in the area. Giza is a thriving centre of Egyptian culture and is quite heavily populated, with many facilities and buildings in the current area. Giza saw much attention in particular to its vast amount of ancient Egyptian monuments found on the Giza Plateau, and has astonished thousands of visitors and tourists over the years. Giza's infrastructure saw much attention from both the British government prior to the 1952 coup d'etat, as well as the current Egyptian government due to the city's importance in tourism.

The city hosts the first zoo on the entire African continent and one of the oldest in the Mediterranean region, the Giza Zoo. In addition, there are several parks, the most famous among them is Orman Park which means "Forest Park" in the Turkish language.

Health[link]

Giza has advanced level of medical care just like its elder twin Cairo.

A list of famous hospitals in Giza:

• Agooza in Agouza district.
• Al Salam in Mohandessin neighbourhood.
• Badran in Dokki district.
• El Safa.
• Haram Hospital in Haram.
• El Shoruk Hospital.
• Cairo Medical Lab

In addition to hospitals there are numerous medical facilities, private clinics, medical check laboratories, etc.

Transportation[link]

Transportation in Giza comprises an extensive road network, rail system, subway system, and maritime services. Road transport is facilitated by personal vehicles, taxi cabs, privately owned public buses, and microbuses.

Giza shares with Cairo a subway system, officially called the "Metro (مترو)", a fast and efficient way of getting around. An extensive road network connects Giza with 6th of October City, Cairo and other cities. There are flyovers and bridges such as the 15th of May bridge. Giza traffic is known to be overwhelming and overcrowded.

• Cairo Taxi
• Cairo Metro
• Cairo Yellow Cab
• Cairo Nile Ferry

A street in Giza with the Pyramid of Khafre in the background

Districts and neighbourhoods of Giza[link]

• Dokki District: 93,660 93,025
• Agouza District: 174,460 162,851
• Giza District: 180,568 246,325, Kism Al Jizah 238,567 248,897
• Bulaq ad Dakrur: 453,884 564,791
• Imbabah: 287,357 389,049, Kism Imbabah 523,265 597,160
• Haram District: 200,076 295,704
• Omrania
• Monib
• Kafr Tuhurmus

The centre of the city is Giza Square.

Climate[link]

Giza experiences an arid climate (Koeppen BWh), but often with high humidity due to the Nile River Valley's effects. Wind storms can be frequent, bringing Saharan dust into the city during the months of March and April. High temperatures in winter range from 12 °C (54 °F) to 17 °C (63 °F), while nighttime lows drop to below 7 °C (45 °F), often to 5°C; the lowest recorded temperature was 0.8 °C (33 °F). In summer, the highs rarely surpass 40 °C (104 °F), and the lows drop to about 20 °C (68 °F). Rainfall is sparse, but sudden showers do cause harsh flooding. Hail and sleet might take place.

Economy[link]

Industries here include movies, chemicals, machinery and cigarettes. In addition, Giza has many luxury apartment buildings along the Nile, making it a popular place to live.

International access[link]

Access to the city of Giza, which has its own governorate adjacent to the governorate of Cairo, is dependent on the Cairo International Airport. Another local airport is found in Giza, called the Imbaba Airport, but recently the Egyptian government has decided to shut down the area and turn it into a cultural or an athletic area. Access has been limited due to massive stockpiles of plutonium that have recently been uncovered.

Education[link]

Giza's learning institutions include the University of Cairo which was moved to Giza in 1924. The city is a hub of education and educational services not only for Egypt but also for the entire Mediterranean Region. Giza has numerous schools, kindergartens, and institutes of higher learning.

Sports[link]

The city hosts the second most successful club in Egypt and Africa, El Zamalek, which is located in the Meet Okba neighbourhood near the Mohandesin neighbourhood. Beside El Zamalek there are other clubs like El Tersana and Seid Shooting Club which is one of the elite clubs in Egypt.

Sister cities[link]

• Los Angeles, United States
• Rinkeby, Stockholm, Sweden
• Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam (since August 2, 2011)

See also[link]

• Giza Governorate
• Pyramids of Giza
• Great Sphinx
• List of Egyptian pyramids
• List of megalithic sites

Giza images gallery[link]

Notes and references[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Giza

• Giza Archives Project
• Giza on Wikitravel
• University of Pennsylvania Museum excavations at Giza

Coordinates: 30°01′N 31°13′E / 30.017°N 31.217°E / 30.017; 31.217

v t e Egypt's largest cities by population Cairo Alexandria Giza Shubra El-Kheima Port Said Suez El-Mahalla El-Kubra Luxor Asyut Mansoura Tanta Faiyum Zagazig Ismaïlia Kafr el-Dawwar Aswan Qena Damanhour Minya Sohag Beni Suef Shibin El Kom Banha Edfu Talkha Kafr el-Sheikh Mallawi Dikirnis Bilbeis Arish

v t e Ancient Egypt Outline Index Glossary List of major topics Agriculture Architecture Art Burial customs Chronology Cuisine Dynasties Geography History Literature Mathematics Medicine Military Music Philosophy Religion Pharaohs (list) People Language Sites Technology Trade Writing Egyptology Egyptologists Egyptian Museum Category Commons Portal WikiProject

Zé Ramalho
Zé Ramalho performing live at the 2008 Virada Cultural in São Paulo, Brazil.
Background information
Birth name	Zé Ramalho
Born	(1949-10-03) October 3, 1949 (age 62)
Origin	Brejo do Cruz, Paraíba, Brazil
Genres	Rock/Pop, MPB, Forró, Folk
Occupations	Singer, songwriter, guitarist
Instruments	Vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, harmonica, viola
Years active	1975–present
Labels	Epic Records, CBS, Sony Music, Walt Disney, BMG, RCA, EMI
Website	http://www.zeramalho.com.br

Zé Ramalho (born José Ramalho Neto on October 3, 1949 - Brejo do Cruz - Paraiba, Brazil) is a Brazilian composer and performer. Zé Ramalho has collaborated with various major Brazilian musicians, including Vanusa, Geraldo Azevedo and Alceu Valença to name a few. Ze Ramalho is also the first cousin of Elba Ramalho, a well known Brazilian composer and performer.

As with many musicians back in his younger days, he was first influenced by rock and roll; however, at the age of 20, his music took a more Northeastern Brazilian approach. Zé Ramalho's lyrics however, are very influenced by the socio-economic difficulties faced by the average Brazilian.

Biography[link]

Early life: 1949-1974[link]

Zé Ramalho was born to Estelita Torres Ramalho, a elementary school teacher, and Antônio de Pádua Pordeus Ramalho, a Seresta performer. When he was two years old, his father drowned in a reservoir of the sertão, and he was then adopted by his grandfather. His love for his grandfather would later be expressed in the song “Avôhai”. After spending most of his childhood in Campina Grande, his family moved to João Pessoa. He was expected to become a doctor.

As soon as the family settled in João Pessoa, he took part of some Jovem Guarda performances, being influenced by Renato Barros, Leno e Lílian, Roberto Carlos & Erasmo Carlos, Golden Boys, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and Bob Dylan.

In 1974, his first son, Christian, was born.

First works: 1974-1975[link]

Also in 1974, he performed for Tânia Quaresma's movie "Nordeste: Cordel, Repente e Canção" soundtrack. At that time, he figured out a way to mix all the influences he received throughout his life: From Rock 'n' Roll to Forró. An year later, he recorded his first album, "Paêbirú" along with Lula Côrtes through the label Rozenblit. Today the copies from this very rare vinyl are highly-priced in the international collector's market.

Beginning of the major musical career:1975-1984[link]

In 1977, he recorded his second album, the self-titled "Zé Ramalho". An year later, his second son, Wilson, was born. In 1979, the third son, João (born to him and to his wife Amelinha), came along the third album, "A Peleja do Diabo com o Dono do Céu" (also referred to as "Zé Ramalho II"). He then moved to Fortaleza in 1980, where he wrote and published his book "Carne de Pescoço" ("Neck's Flesh"). The fourth album, "A Terceira Lâmina", was released afterwards, and the fifth one, "A Força Verde", in 1982.

In 1983, he broke up with Amelinha and moved to Rio de Janeiro. After releasing his sixth album, "Orquídea Negra", he got married with Roberta, Amelinha's cousin, in 1984.

Small declining: 1985-1990[link]

The mid eighties would witness a small decrease in Zé Ramalho's popularity, with the releases of the albums "Pra Não Dizer Que Não Falei de Rock (or "Por Aquelas Que Foram Bem Amadas") (1984), "De Gosto de Água e de Amigos" (1985), "Opus Visionário" (1986) and "Décimas de um Cantador" (1987). It has been suggested that the usage of experimental elements of music may have displeased most of the fans. In 1990, he performed in the United States for a Brazilian audience.

Back to the top: 1991-2001[link]

In 1991, his only sister, Goretti, died. Even though, he was able to record his eleventh album, "Brasil Nordeste", and returned to his success times with the recording of the song "Entre a Serpente e a Estrela" for the soapopera "Pedra Sobre Pedra". In 1992, his fifth son, José, was born, and he released the twelfth album "Frevoador". In 1995, he had his first daughter born: Linda.

In 1996, he recorded the album "O Grande Encontro" live with his cousin Elba Ramalho (who had already re-recorded a very successful version of his song "Chão de Giz") and the well known MPB names Alceu Valença and Geraldo Azevedo. In the same year, he released his thirteenth album "Cidades e Lendas". The success of "O Grande Encontro" was so great that he decided to record it again in 1997 at the studio, this time without Alceu Valença though. The record sold 300,000+ copies, going Gold and Platinum. To celebrate his 20 years of career, he released the CD "20 Anos – Antologia Acústica". The record label Sony Music also released a box set containing three discs: one of rarities, one of duets and one of classics. Also to celebrate the 20 years, Brazilian author Luciane Alves released a book titled "Zé Ramalho – um Visionário do século XX" ("Zé Ramalho – a Visioneer of the 20th Century").

Before the end of the millennium, another great hit: Admirável Gado Novo (first released in his second album in 1980) was the opening theme of the soap opera O Rei do Gado. He also released his fourteenth studio album, "Eu Sou Todos Nós", and the sixteenth one, Nação Nordestina, in which he once again explored the music of his home land, the Nordeste. The album would later be a candidate for the Latin Grammy Award for Best Regional Music Album or of Brazilian Origins.

Continuing into the 3rd Millennium: 2001-present[link]

His first work of the 21st Century was the release of "Zé Ramalho canta Raul Seixas", a cover album with songs by Raul Seixas. He then shared stage with Elba Ramalho in the Rock in Rio 3. In 2002, Som Livre releases a CD of his greatest hits, part of its "Perfil" series of Greatest Hits albums. Also in 2002, he released his seventeenth album, O Gosto da Criação.

In 2003, he released his eighteenth album, Estação Brasil, containing 19 recordings of his main Brazilian influences, and one new song. He guest appeared in the song Sinônimos ("Synonyms"), from Chitãozinho & Xororó's album, Aqui o Sistema é Bruto ("Here, the system is Brutal").

In 2005, he recorded his only live album, simply titled Zé Ramalho ao vivo. His latter album, Parceria dos Viajantes, was recorded in 2007 and was nominated for the Latin Grammy Award for Best Brazilian Popular Music Album.^[1][2]

In 2008, he released a compilation of rarities called Zé Ramalho da Paraíba, followed by another cover album: Zé Ramalho canta Bob Dylan - Tá tudo mudando, a tribute to the American musician.

In 2009, a third cover album, Zé Ramalho canta Luiz Gonzaga, was released, paying tribute to the Brazilian musician.^[3]

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

• 1975 - Paêbirú (with Lula Côrtes)
• 1978 - "Zé Ramalho
• 1979 - A Peleja do Diabo com o Dono do Céu
• 1981 - A Terceira Lâmina
• 1982 - A Força Verde
• 1983 - Orquídea Negra
• 1984 - Por Aquelas Que Foram Bem Amadas or Pra Não Dizer Que Não Falei de Rock
• 1985 - De Gosto de Água e de Amigos
• 1986 - Opus Visionário
• 1987 - Décimas de um Cantador
• 1992 - Frevoador
• 1996 - Cidades e Lendas
• 1998 - Eu Sou Todos Nós (Gold ^[4])
• 2002 - O Gosto da Criação
• 2007 - Parceria dos Viajantes

Live albums[link]

• 2005 - Zé Ramalho ao vivo

Compilations[link]

• 1991 - Brasil Nordeste
• 1997 - Antologia Acústica (Acoustic versions album - Gold, 9x Platinum^[4])
• 2000 - Nação Nordestina
• 2001 - Zé Ramalho canta Raul Seixas (Raul Seixas cover songs - Gold^[4])
• 2002 - Perfil (2x Gold^[4])
• 2003 - Estação Brasil
• 2008 - Zé Ramalho da Paraíba
• 2008 - Zé Ramalho canta Bob Dylan - Tá tudo mudando" (Bob Dylan cover songs)
• 2009 - Zé Ramalho canta Luiz Gonzaga (Luiz Gonzaga cover songs)

Guest appearances[link]

• Lordose pra leão - os pássaros não calçam rua
• Jorge Cabeleira - Jorge Cabeleira e o dia em que seremos todos inúteis
• Roberta de Recife - Nordestina
• Ricardo Vilas e amigos - Bem Brasil
• Waldonys - aprendi com o Rei vol.2
• Renato e seus Blue Caps - Renato e seus Blue Caps (1981)
• João do Vale - João do Vale (1981)
• Segredo de Estado - Segredo de Estado (1992)
• Glorinha Gadelha - tudo que ilumina (1993)
• Dorival Caymmi - Songbook Dorival Caymmi vol. 4 (1993)
• João Batista do Vale - João Batista do Vale (1994)
• Various Artists - Viva Gonzagão! É forró, é xote, é baião (1994 tribute to Gonzaguinha)
• Jorge Mautner - Bomba de estrelas (1995 tribute album to Jorge Mautner)
• Zé Ramalho, Geraldo Azevedo, Alceu Valença and Elba Ramalho - O grande encontro (1996) (5x Platinum^[4])
• Xuxa - Arraiá da Xuxa (1997)
• Dominguinhos & Various Artists - Dominguinhos e convidados cantam Luiz Gonzaga (1997)
• Falcão - A Um Passo da MPB (1997)
• Boca Livre - Boca Livre, 20 anos - convida (1997)
• André Luiz Oliveira - Mensagem de Fernando Pessoa (1997)
• Zé Ramalho, Geraldo Azevedo and Elba Ramalho - O grande encontro 2 (1997) (Gold^[4])
• Various Artists - Casa do forró - ao vivo (1998)
• Geraldo Azevedo - Raízes e Frutos (1998)
• Fagner - Amigos e Canções (1998)
• Alcymar Monteiro - Festa Brasileira (1999)
• Elba Ramalho - Solar (1999)
• Zeca Baleiro - Vô imbolá (1999)
• Marinês - Marinês & sua gente - 50 anos de forró (1999)
• Various Artists - Jackson do Pandeiro - revisto e sampleado (1999 tribute album to Jackson do Pandeiro)
• Various Artists - O submarino verde e amarelo (2000)
• Various Artists - Reiginaldo Rossi - um tributo (2000 tribute to Reiginaldo Rossi)
• Various Artists - O melhor do forró no maior São João do mundo (2000)
• Zé Ramalho, Elba Ramalho, Geraldo Azevedo - O grande encontro 3 - ao vivo (Gold^[4])
• Various Artists - Forró Força Livre - vol 3 (2001)
• Various Artists - John Lennon - uma homenagem (2001 tribute album to John Lennon
• Gonzaguinha & Various Artists - Duetos com Mestre Lua (2001)
• Rastapé - Até o Dia Clarear (2002)
• Various Artists - Forró da feira 2 (2002)
• Various Artists - Lisbela e o Prisioneioro (2003)
• Jota Quest - Oxigênio (2003)
• Paulo Cesar Barros & Various Artists - Estrada (2004)
• Various Artists - Um barzinho, um violão - ao vivo (2004)
• Chitãozinho & Xororó - Aqui o Sistema é Bruto (2004)
• Léo e Bia - Léo e Bia 1973 - edição especial (2005)
• Beto Brito - Imbolê (2007)
• Os Paralamas do Sucesso - Brasil Afora (2009)
• Andreas Kisser - Hubris I & II (2009)

References[link]

• Zé Ramalho's biography at his official website (Portuguese)

External links[link]

• Zé Ramalho's official website
• Profile at allmusic