Ḩalwān

More recently, Helwan was designated as a city until the 1960s, before it became contiguous with the city of Cairo and was incorporated as a district. For a brief period between April 2008 and April 2011 it was redesignated as a city, and served as the capital of the now defunct Helwan Governorate that was split from Cairo and Giza governorates, before being re-incorporated back into them. The kism of Helwan had a population of 557,620 in the 2023 census.

Helwan is among the largest suburbs of Cairo by area, and is located in the far south. The city is located south of Al-Tabbin, to the north by El Masara district, and to the east by 15th of May. The Nile River is located west of the city. Helwan University's campus is located in the Ain Helwan area. Helwan is Cairo's largest industrial center, with factories producing iron and steel, cement, and military equipment, as well as the Nasr Automotive Factory, the Sigwart Factory in Maasara, and the Egyptian Company for the Manufacture of Telephone Equipment (Quick Tel) in Maasara.