A map of the major cities and regions of
Ancient Egypt during the dynastic period (c. 3150 to 30 BC). Egypt is traditionally divided into two halves:
Lower Egypt (from the
Mediterranean Sea to
Dahshur, just south of
Cairo) and
Upper Egypt (extending south to
Aswan). Further south, Egypt was bounded by the land of
Kush (modern
Sudan), and to the northeast, the
Levant. Surrounded by harsh deserts, the river
Nile was the lifeline of this ancient civilization. Memphis and Thebes were the capitals of lower and upper Egypt respectively.
Map credit: Jeff Dahl