- May 3, 2020
- 7 min read

Memphis ”Egypt’s Ancient Capital”

Memphis always remained the administrative and military capital of the country even when the capital was moved to Thebes with the New Kingdom. Tradition attributes the foundation of Memphis to the mythical Menes, the first pharaoh, and the city was at the junction point between Upper and Lower Egypt and remained the capital for the entire Old Kingdom. Discover more!

In a limited archaeological area where the temple of Ptah was located, the divinity of Memphis considered the creator god, some colossal statues are visible. The largest is the one depicting Ramses II found demolished and mutilated, originally more than 13 m high.

Memphisis one of the most intriguing archeological sites and things to do in Cairo. it was the ancient capital of Egypt well-known anciently as ‘Inebu-hedge’, the name that could not be pronounced by the Greeks so they called it after the name of one of the pyramids in the location of the city, the pyramid is called Mn Nefer which means pretty and stable. Mn-Nefer was corrupted to be Memphis then Arabs could not say it so they called the city Manf, and this name was finally pronounced by modern Egyptians as Mit-Rahina and that remains as the current name where such a cosmopolitan city used to be. anciently it was the first name of Lower Egypt at that time, It was founded by the pharaoh Menes and was the Capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom, ts ruins are found near ( Mit Rahina) town around 20 km south of Giza. It is at a strategic position at the mouth of the Nile Delta that’s why it remained an essential city throughout ancient Egyptian history. Its principal port contained a high density of warehouses that distributed food and merchandise throughout the ancient kingdom. workshops, factories, and you have to remember that during its golden age, Memphis thrived as a regional center for commerce, religion, and trade

Memphis became the capital of Ancient Egypt for 1000 years over eight consecutive dynasties duringthe Old Kingdom. It reached its peak of prestige under the 6th dynasty as a center for the worship of Ptah, the god of creation and artworks. The Temple of Ptah which guarded by the alabaster sphinx serves as a memorial of the city’s former power and prestige. The Memphis triad who is consisting of god Ptah, his wife Sekhmet and their son Nefertem, made the main focus of worship in the city.

Memphis declined during the 18th dynasty with the rise of Thebes and it was restored during the rest of the New Kingdom and also under the Persians before being ignored again following the foundation of Alexandria. During the Roman Empire, Alexandria continued as the most important Egyptian city. The second city of Egypttill the establishment of Fustat (or Fostat) in 641 CE remained Memphis. Lately, it was largely deserted and became a source of stone for the surrounding settlements. Now, still, it’s still got an impressive set of ruins that belong in the twelfth century but soon became a little more than an expanse of low ruins and scattered stone.

Memphis believed to be under the protection of the god Ptah, the patron of artists. Its magnificent temple, Hut-ka-Ptah was one of the most leading structures in the city at that time and there is no doubt that the ruins of the former capital today offer fragmented proof of its past. They have been protected, along with the pyramid complex at Giza, as a World Heritage Site since 1979. The site is open to the public as an open-air museum.

Memphis ”Egypt’s Ancient Capital”

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