Basium is one of eight central districts in Al-Gharbiya governorate and one of its oldest cities. The name ‘Basiun’ is a hieroglyphic word meaning ‘The Bathroom’. Under the reign of the 26th Family, it was part of the capital of Egypt. Abbas I, who expelled the Persians from Egypt, was one of its famous kings. The old capital was located in Sa El-Hagar village and named Saw or Sais. The era of the 26th Family was called the Sawic Age, referring to the village of Saw. After the Arab conquest, it was named Saa', then renamed Sa El-Hagar because it contained the ruins of the old temples. After that, the name was modified to Salhagar.

Basiun was located on the trade route between Cairo and Alexandria during the Islamic rule. It contained the administration of the region from Meniet Jenaj to the beginning of Tala. Kafr El-Zayat was a small village named Geris, but in 1870 a railroad was established there and Kafr El-Zayat became the administrative center, while Basiun was a large village.