The city of Nicius was known as Necho and to the Greeks as Nicius or Nicio. Bishop John of Necho was from it, and some martyrs were identified from Coptic Church sources, such as Seraphim, Isaac Dafri, Makarios of Antioch, Theodoros, Stratilates and others.

This village was mentioned by many Byzantine, Arab, and Muslim travelers, and was an important agricultural center for its region. It appears on the map of Madaba. It has a square wall with a large door and four towers, two of which have two doors. Ethiopian and Arab sources mention that it had several churches that were destroyed by the Persians in the sixth century AD.

The Virgin Mary, the child Jesus, and Saint Joseph stayed in this city for seven days during their escape to Egypt, and traces of many churches were found in this city.