I always wondered why there were no dogs on the streets here in Alex, but then I saw them selling half-pound meat sandwiches (called "hawawshi") for 4LE (less than $1), so it all started to make sense. A place here in Alex was shutdown for a few months because it was caught selling inappropriate meat. It turned out it was used donkey meat for its sandwiches. (uhh... dark humor if it didn't get across the screen ;-) )

On a side note, mirò: Are you teaching Italian in Minya?

Back to topic:
I was googling some reviews on Minya to educate myself too and found the following (hope it helps). The first time I heard of el-minya was a few months back when there were some civil clashes among its people. The last link from the links below discusses the clashes.

Overnight at Minya - El Minya, Egypt Travel Blog
El Minya, City of in Egypt
Al Minya Vacations, Tourism and Al Minya, Egypt Travel Reviews - TripAdvisor
Egyptian Coptic Priest Banned From Village, Under Death Threat