Bilbeis (Arabic: بلبيسpronounced[belˈbeːs]; Bohairic Coptic: Ⲫⲉⲗⲃⲉⲥ/ⲪⲉⲗⲃⲏⲥPhelbes/Phelbēs) is an ancient fortress city on the eastern edge of the southern Nile Delta in Egypt, the site of the ancient city and former bishopric of Phelbes and a Latin Catholic titular see. It is located 20 km from the city of 10th of Ramadan and roughly 50 km from the city of Cairo.
The city is small in size but densely populated, with over 407,300 residents. It also houses the Egyptian Air Force Academy complex, which contains the town's largest public school in Al-Zafer.
Situated on a caravan and natural invasion route from the east, Bilbeis was conquered in 640 by the Arabs. Amr ibn al-As besieged and took the city defended by a Byzantine general called al-Ardubun. According to a Muslim legend, Armanusa, the daughter of Muqawqis lived in Bilbeis.[4] In 727 some of the Qays tribe were resettled here and later chain of fortresses was built to protect Cairo.[5]
The city played a role in the machinations for control of the Fatimidvizierate: first in 1164, when Shirkuh was besieged in the city by the combined forces of Shawar and crusader king Amalric I of Jerusalem for three months; then again in 1168 when the city was assaulted again by Amalric's army, who took the city after three days on 4 November and indiscriminately killed the inhabitants.[6] (See Crusader invasion of Egypt.)
Sadat Quraish Mosque, one of Egypt’s earliest mosques, built in 640.[8]
Amir al-Gish Mosque
The Great Mosque in Kesaria
Churches
Coptic church of St. George
Ecclesiastical history
The bishopric, a suffragan of the Metropolitan of provincial capital Leontopolis, faded.
Titular see
The diocese of Phelbes was nominally restored in 1933 as a Latin Catholic titular bishopric.
It has had the following incumbents, all of the lowest (episcopal) rank:
Enrico van Schingen, Jesuits (S.J.) (1936-12-17 – 1954-07-02)
Antoine Henri van den Hurk, Capuchin Franciscans (O.F.M. Cap.) (1955-01-01 – 1961-01-03) as Apostolic Vicar of Medan (Indonesia) (1955-01-01 – 1961-01-03), promoted first Metropolitan Archbishop of Medan (1961-01-03 – 1976-05-24)
Airton José dos Santos (2001-12-19 – 2004-08-04) as Auxiliary Bishop of Santo André (Brazil) (2001-12-19 – 2004-08-04), later Bishop of Mogi das Cruzes (Brazil) (2004-08-04 – 2012-02-15), Metropolitan Archbishop of Campinas (Brazil) (2012-02-15 – ... )
Javier Augusto del Río Alba (2004-10-12 – 2006-07-11) as Auxiliary Bishop of Callao (Peru) (2004-10-12 – 2006-07-11), Coadjutor Archbishop of Arequipa (Peru) (2006-07-11 – 2006-10-20), succeeding as Metropolitan Archbishop of Arequipa (2006-10-20 – ... ), Second Vice-president of Episcopal Conference of Peru (January 2012 – ... )
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