Memphis, Egypt

Memphis , or Men-nefer, was the ancient capital of <a href="/facts/Inebu-hedj/Xa3MQHvN">Inebu-hedj</a>, the first <a href="/facts/Nome_(Egypt)/As2FAcJB">nome</a> of <a href="/facts/Lower_Egypt/Lfdnhy7B">Lower Egypt</a> that was known as mḥw ("North"). Its ruins are located in the vicinity of the present-day village of Mit Rahina (Arabic: ميت رهينة), in markaz (<a href="/facts/County/VYDI8nbJ">county</a>) <a href="/facts/Badrashin/Ru3QDanT">Badrashin</a>, Giza, Egypt.
Along with the <a href="/facts/Memphite_Necropolis/gUAKSPAL">pyramid fields</a> that stretch on a desert plateau for more than 30 kilometres (19 mi) on its west, including the famous <a href="/facts/Giza_pyramid_complex/2cELBJX9">Pyramids of Giza</a>, Memphis and its necropolis have been listed as a <a href="/facts/World_Heritage_Site/6AbWWKV4">World Heritage Site</a>. The site is open to the public as an <a href="/facts/Open-air_museum/fM4Elay3">open-air museum</a>.
According to legends related in the early third century BC by <a href="/facts/Manetho/3TLqgvWT">Manetho</a>, a priest and historian who lived in the <a href="/facts/Ptolemaic_Kingdom/sAg88Lvs">Ptolemaic Kingdom</a> during the <a href="/facts/Hellenistic_period/q6BgQsaF">Hellenistic period</a> of ancient <a href="/facts/Egypt/8Ttg0JwB">Egypt</a>, the city was founded by <a href="/facts/Pharaoh/y0WMWYHK">King</a> <a href="/facts/Menes/jBIEBy8g">Menes</a>. It was the <a href="/facts/List_of_Egyptian_capitals/eCrIqILm">capital</a> of <a href="/facts/Ancient_Egypt/BDsEGK4g">ancient Egypt</a> (Kemet or Kumat) during both the <a href="/facts/Early_Dynastic_Period_of_Egypt/EjU7tffk">Early Dynastic Period</a> and <a href="/facts/Old_Kingdom/3Egn5RJd">Old Kingdom</a> and remained an important city throughout <a href="/facts/History_of_ancient_Egypt/AFMqCBw6">ancient Egyptian history</a>. It occupied a strategic position at the mouth of the <a href="/facts/Nile_Delta/ItjnDeVk">Nile Delta</a>, and was home to bustling activity. Its principal port, Peru-nefer (not to be confused with <a href="/facts/Peru-nefer/K7cu6Hha">Peru-nefer</a> at <a href="/facts/Avaris/NJVPRclv">Avaris</a>), 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 <a href="/facts/Ptah/kbJojur9">Ptah</a>, the patron of craftsmen. Its great <a href="/facts/Egyptian_temple/AFFpWDUP">temple</a>, Hut-ka-Ptah (meaning "Enclosure of the <a href="/facts/Egyptian_soul/wU03bJh5">ka</a> 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 <a href="/facts/History_of_ancient_Egypt/AFMqCBw6">that of the country</a> itself. Its eventual downfall is believed to have been due to the loss of its <a href="/facts/Economic/okLWSsEY">economic</a> significance in late antiquity, following the rise of coastal <a href="/facts/Alexandria/hdg1twWA">Alexandria</a>. Its religious significance was diminished after the abandonment of the <a href="/facts/Ancient_Egyptian_religion/BFq9Blsw">ancient religion</a> following the <a href="/facts/Edict_of_Thessalonica/DhdBr8e6">Edict of Thessalonica</a> (380 AD), which made <a href="/facts/Nicene_Christianity/kcjvCVsB">Nicene Christianity</a> the sole religion of the Roman empire. By the <a href="/facts/Egypt_in_the_Middle_Ages/fLUTfV0r">Middle Ages</a>, 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.

Memphis, Egypt open-in-new

Memphis, Egypt