6th October City, Egypt

Sister Cities

Relationship with Marrickville

Marrickville Council decided to proceed with formalising the Sister Cities agreement with 6th October City in November 2008, in recognition of the Egyptian population residing in the Marrickville area and their contribution to the social, economic and cultural development of our community.

Geography and Climate

6th October City is the capital of 6th of October Governate, located around 20 kilometres southwest of Cairo, which is located on the banks of the Nile River in northern Egypt.

The climate is hot in summer, and hot in the day and cold at night during winter. There are often wind storms in March and April.

Local Life and Traditions

• 6th October City is one of Egypt's new, cosmopolitan cities.
• 6th October Governate was made one of Cairo's four governates in May 2008.
• The city has seven private universities, including two private medical schools. These facilities are attended by both local and international students.
• Greater Cairo's attractions include the Pyramids, the Sphinx and Saladin's Citadel.

Festivals

There are a number of festivals held in greater Cairo. These include the Cairo Oriental Dance Festival, held in June, and the Cairo International Photography Festival, held in December.

The Cairo International Film Festival is held in December and was launched by the Egyptian Association of Film Writers and Critics in 1976. Previous attendees include Nicolas Cage, Elizabeth Taylor, Oliver Stone, Omar Sharif and Shashi Kapoor.

Food and Wine

Egyptian cuisine is a fusion of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavours and features many different types of bread, such as pita bread.

Street stalls are popular and sell snacks such as kebabs, and drinks such as juice, to passers-by.

Click here to show a recipe for Egyptian pistachio couscous (serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 500g instant couscous
• 300mL vegetable stock
• 65g melted butter
• 80g sultanas
• Grated rind of 1 lemon
• 50g roasted sliced almonds
• 80g pistachio nuts
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
   

1. Place the couscous in a bowl and add the boiling stock.
2. Leave for 5 minutes until couscous has softened and liquid is absorbed.
3. Stir in melted butter, sultanas, lemon rind, almonds and pistachio nuts.
4. Season with salt and pepper.

Fun Fact

6th October City is home to Media Production City, a huge information and media complex with cutting-edge technology.