Minya Named Egypt's Cultural Capital for 2025

The Ministry of Culture has named Minya as Egypt’s Cultural Capital for 2025. This recognition coincides with the governorate hosting the 36th General Conference of Egyptian Writers, which runs from November 24th to November 27th. This year’s conference is held under the theme of ‘The Literature of Victory and Cultural Security: Fifty Years Since the Crossing’, and is chaired by Dr. Ahmed Nawar and coordinated by poet Yasser Khalil.

This tradition dates back to a 2018 decision made by the Ministry of Culture, in which any governorate hosting the annual Writers' Conference would become designated as Egypt's Cultural Capital for the following year. The initiative aims to promote local creativity, preserve traditional crafts and establish talent development programs. It also involves comprehensive cultural programming, including arts events and a literary salon, to encourage governorates to host the conference.

Minya has a notable history with the Writers' Conference, hosting it five times since its inception. Among the 20 governorates that have hosted the event, Minya leads in appearances, followed by Port Said and Alexandria, each with three.

Since the initiative’s launch, only four governorates have earned the title of Cultural Capital: Matrouh (2018), Port Said (2019), New Valley (2022), and now Minya for 2025.