Asyut is the largest town in Upper Egypt and lies about 234 miles south of Cairo and now is the capital of the modern Asyut Governorate in Egypt; It is an old city which was first settled in pharaonic times, then the capital of the Thirteenth Nome of Upper Egypt and named Syut. The name of the city is derived from early Egyptian Zawty (late Egyptian, Səyáwt) adopted into the Coptic as Syowt. Later, the Greeks renamed it Lycopolis which means 'city of the wolf'. This was due to the importance of the Jackal gods Wepwawet (Opener of Ways) and Anubis. Although the city was of considerable strategic value in its position between Upper and Lower Egypt, it somehow managed to stay clear of national importance as a capital. During the First Intermediate Period, the rulers of "Zawty" (Khety I, Itefibi, and Khety II) were supporters of the Herakleopolitan kings, of whose domain the Nome formed the southern limits. The conflict between this Nome and the southern Nomes under the rule of the Eleventh dynasty ended with the victory of Thebes and the decline of Asyut's importance. Today Asyut is the capital of the Said (Upper Egypt) governorate, the city of Asyut has almost 400,000 inhabitants and it has a large Christian community and is the region's most important agricultural center, dealing in cotton and grain. It also has some carpet manufacturing industry. It is also the home of the third largest university in Egypt. Attractions nearby: The most important the Necropolis of Assiut. Meir tombs of many regional leaders may be found which document the area's historical significance. Also Hatnub Quarries which was a Stone quarrying has a very long history in Egypt. The quarries at Hatnub, at least half a day’s journey from the Nile in ancient times, are situated in the hills of the Eastern Desert. Deir el-Gabrawi: which consider a cemetery of over one hundred rock-cut tombs dating to the late Old Kingdom and First Intermediate Period.