Place:Memphis, Al Jizah, Egypt

Watchers


NameMemphis
Alt namesMit Rahinasource: Getty Vocabulary Program
Mit Rahinehasource: ARLIS/NA: Ancient Site Names (1995)
Mit Rihaynahsource: GRI Photo Study, Authority File (1989)
Mit Riheinasource: Columbia Lippincott Gazetteer (1961)
Mit-Rahinehsource: Columbia Lippincott Gazetteer (1961)
Mitrahinehsource: GRI Photo Study, Authority File (1989)
Mīt Ruhaynahsource: NIMA, GEOnet Names Server (1996-1998)
Nophsource: ARLIS/NA: Ancient Site Names (1995)
TypeCity
Coordinates29.85°N 31.25°E
Located inAl Jizah, Egypt
source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names


the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Memphis or Men-nefer (   ; Bohairic ; ) was the ancient capital of Inebu-hedj, the first nome of Lower Egypt that was known as mḥw ("north"). Its ruins are located near the modern town of Mit Rahina, 20 km (12 mi) south of Giza in Greater Cairo, Egypt.

According to legends related in the early third century BC by Manetho, a priest and historian who lived in the Ptolemaic Kingdom during the Hellenistic period of ancient Egypt, the city was founded by King Menes. It was the capital of ancient Egypt (Kemet or Kumat) during the Old Kingdom and remained an important city throughout ancient Egyptian history. It occupied a strategic position at the mouth of the Nile Delta, and was home to bustling activity. Its principal port, Peru-nefer (not to be confused with Peru-nefer at Avaris), featured a high density of workshops, factories, and warehouses that distributed food and merchandise throughout the ancient kingdom. During its golden age, Memphis thrived as a regional centre for commerce, trade, and religion.

Memphis was believed to be under the protection of the god Ptah, the patron of craftsmen. Its great temple, Hut-ka-Ptah (meaning "Enclosure of the ka of Ptah"), was one of the most prominent structures in the city. The name of this temple, rendered in Greek as Aἴγυπτoς (Ai-gy-ptos) by Manetho, is believed to be the etymological origin of the modern English name Egypt.

The history of Memphis is closely linked to that of the country itself. Its eventual downfall is believed to have been due to the loss of its economic significance in late antiquity, following the rise of coastal Alexandria. Its religious significance was diminished after the abandonment of the ancient religion following the Edict of Thessalonica (380 AD), which made Nicene Christianity the sole religion of the Roman empire.

Today, the ruins of the former capital offer fragmented evidence of its past. Along with the pyramid complex at Giza, they have been preserved as a World Heritage Site since 1979. The site is open to the public as an open-air museum.

Research Tips


This page uses content from the English Wikipedia. The original content was at Memphis, Egypt. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with WeRelate, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.