Everything about Memphis Egypt totally explained
Memphis was the ancient capital of the first
nome of
Lower Egypt, and of the
Old Kingdom of
Egypt from its foundation until around 2200 BC and later for shorter periods during the
New Kingdom, and an administrative centre throughout ancient history. Its
Ancient Egyptian name was
Ineb Hedj ("The White Walls"). The name "Memphis" (Μέμφις) is the
Greek deformation of the Egyptian name of
Pepi I's (
6th dynasty)
pyramid,
Men-nefer, which became
Menfe in
Coptic. The modern cities and towns of Mit Rahina,
Dahshur,
Saqqara,
Abusir,
Abu Gorab, and
Zawyet el'Aryan, south of
Cairo, all lie within the administrative borders of historical Memphis . Memphis was also known in
Ancient Egypt as
Ankh Tawy ("That which binds the Two Lands"), thus stressing the strategic position of the city between
Upper and
Lower Egypt.
The ruins of Memphis are 20 km (12 miles) south of
Cairo, on the west bank of the
Nile.
According to Herodotus, the city was founded around 3100 BC by
Menes, who united the two kingdoms of Egypt.
It has also been established that King Menes was most likely just a mythical king, similar to
Romulus and Remus, the mythical first rulers of Rome. Most likely Egypt became unified through mutual need, developing cultural ties over time and trading partnerships though it's still understood that the first capital of Ancient Egypt was the lower Egyptian city of Memphis. The story most likely just got passed on to Herodotus.
Estimates of population size differ widely. According to T. Chandler Memphis had some 30,000 inhabitants and was by far the largest settlement worldwide from the time of its foundation until around 2250 BC and from 1557 to 1400 BC. K. A. Bard is more cautious and estimates the city's population to have amounted to about 6,000 inhabitants during the Old Kingdom.
Memphis reached a peak of prestige under the
6th Dynasty as a centre of the cult of
Ptah. It declined briefly after the
18th Dynasty with the rise of
Thebes and was revived under the
Persian satraps before falling firmly into second place following the foundation of
Alexandria. Under the
Roman Empire, Alexandria remained the most important city. Memphis remained the second city of Egypt until the establishment of
Fustat (or Fostat) in 641. It was then largely abandoned and became a source of stone for the surrounding settlements. It was still an imposing set of ruins in the 12th century but soon became little more than an expanse of low ruins and scattered stone.
The remains of the temple of
Ptah and of
Apis have been uncovered at the site as well as a few statues, including two four-metre ones in alabaster of
Ramesses II. The
Saqqara necropolis is close to Memphis.
The Egyptian historian
Manetho referred to Memphis as
Hi-Ku-P'tah ("Place of the
Ka of
Ptah"), which he wrote in Greek as
Aί γυ πτoς (Ai-gu-ptos), giving us the Latin
AEGYPTVS and the modern English
Egypt. The term
Copt is also believed to be etymologically derived from this name.
In the
Bible, Memphis is called Moph or Noph.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Memphis Egypt'.
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