Egypt: The Country Outside the Square

The cities of Minya, Qena, and Assiut feel far away from Egypt’s famed Tahrir Square – both in distance and spirit.

The neglected region of Upper Egypt runs south of Cairo, extending more than 500 miles to Aswan. It’s been plagued by institutional apathy and corruption for years.

When Egypt's political powers – be it the military or the Muslim Brotherhood – speak of loyal majorities who don’t protest in the Square, or when Egypt’s revolutionaries talk about the need to “reach the people” they have cities like these in mind.