What was memphis egypt

The Greek form Memphis derives from mn-nfr. Through changes in the course of the Nile the location of the actual city moved from the North, close to the tombs of the First Dynasty to the area of the modern village Mit Rahineh. The Old Kingdom city was located a little farther south, still well to the north of Mit Rahineh. These earlier locations for the city have only recently been identified. The city has a perfect strategic position, at the border of Lower and Upper Egypt, towards the northern end of a narrower stretch of river valley running between the Fayum and the apex of the Delta.

It is no accident that Cairo, the capital of modern Egypt, is not far away, closer to the Delta apex. The Memphite region was the first province of Lower Egypt in ancient Egyptian times.

Memphis was in all periods a major industrial centre. A -Tourists have been visiting Egypt for centuries and Egyptians have well-earned reputation for warmth and kindness toward visitors.

Egyptian cities are generally very safe, especially in area where tourists frequent. Q-Best time for Nile River Cruise? A -The best time to for Nile Cruise is October through April when the temperatures are mild and good weather. However, late spring — Easter Time — is also prime tourist season. Memphis was the capital of Lower Egypt before the two lands were unified around BCE by the Pharaoh Menes , also known as Narmer, who founded the first of the thirty dynasties that would rule the kingdom for the next two and a half thousand years.

At the height of its Golden Age it may well have been the most populated city in the world. In BCE, Thebes - the modern day city of Luxor - superseded Memphis as capital city, and as the centuries passed it lost its significance in Egypt.

Sped up by the founding of Alexandria in BCE, it ended up being completely abandoned by the 7th century CE and become a quarry, with the remains of temples and other grand buildings being used to build the new capital city of Cairo. In the area where the ancient great city of Memphis once stood, now stands the small town of Mit Rahina, home to an open-air museum where visitors can see what remains of the ruined former capital.

Despite the dismantling of the ancient capital to build new cities, the open-air museum of Memphis still boasts a good number of ancient ruins, including several important statues. An enormous colossus of Ramses II - displayed lying on its back, giving you unique access to viewing its intricate detail - and an immense alabaster sphinx monolith are two of the highlights of this museum.