 Ruins of the pillared hall of Ramesses II at Mit Rahina | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
  Memphis Location within the Nile Delta  Memphis Location within Egypt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alternative name |
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| Location | Mit Rahina, Giza Governorate, Egypt | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Region | Lower Egypt | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 29°50′41″N 31°15′3″E / 29.84472°N 31.25083°E | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | Settlement | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| History | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Builder | Unknown, was already in existence during Iry-Hor's reign[2] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Founded | Earlier than 31st century BC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abandoned | 7th century AD | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Periods | Early Dynastic Period to Early Middle Ages | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Official name | Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | Cultural | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria | i, iii, vi | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Designated | 1979 (3rd session) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reference no. | 86 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Region | Arab states | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Memphis (Arabic: مَنْف, romanized: Manf, pronounced [mænf]; Bohairic Coptic: ⲙⲉⲙϥⲓ; Greek: Μέμφις), or Men-nefer, was the ancient capital of Inebu-hedj, the first nome of Lower Egypt that was known as mḥw ("North").[3] Its ruins are located in the vicinity of the present-day village of Mit Rahina (Arabic: ميت رهينة), in markaz (county) Badrashin, Giza, Egypt.[4]
Along with the pyramid fields that stretch on a desert plateau for more than 30 kilometres (19 mi) on its west, including the famous Pyramids of Giza, Memphis and its necropolis have been listed as a World Heritage Site.[5] The site is open to the public as an open-air museum.
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 both the Early Dynastic Period and Old Kingdom and remained an important city throughout ancient Egyptian history.[6][7][8] 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. By the Middle Ages, nearby Cairo had emerged as a major political and economic center.
Today, the ruins of the former capital offer fragmented evidence of its past. Many of its remains have become significant tourist destinations.
- ^ Najovits, Simson R. Egypt, trunk of the tree: a modern survey of an ancient land (Vol. 1–2), Algora Publishing, p171.
- ^ P. Tallet, D. Laisnay: Iry-Hor et Narmer au Sud-Sinaï (Ouadi 'Ameyra), un complément à la chronologie des expéditios minière égyptiene, in: BIFAO 112 (2012), 381–395, available online Archived 29 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "TM Places". www.trismegistos.org. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
- ^ "Markaz al-Badrashin Map". www.giza.gov.eg. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
- ^ "Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
- ^ Bard, Encyclopedia of the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt, p. 694.
- ^ Meskell, Lynn (2002). Private Life in New Kingdom Egypt. Princeton University Press, p.34
- ^ Shaw, Ian (2003). The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. Oxford University Press, p.279