Memphis is one of the most important cities of ancient Egypt, the capital in the era of the Old Kingdom (III-VI Dynasty). Memphis was founded by Menes, who united Upper and Lower Egypt and became the first ruler of a united Egypt. Menes built a dam to protect the city from flooding of the Nile. The name Memphis is derived from the name of the pyramid of Pepi I Men-nefer ("GreatStanding") and was used to describe the entire city since the eighteenth dynasty. The oldest name of the city was, Inebu-Hedj ("White Wall"), probably from the wall of the royal residence.
Memphis residues located on the west bank of the Nile, approx. 20 km south of Cairo. Today it is possible to admire the traces of its former glory in the form of a statue of Ramses II and the alabaster sphinx. The main building of Memphis was a temple of the god Ptah, during the New Kingdom called the Hut-ka-Ptah ("Pleaceof soul of god Ptah"), from which comes the Greek name of the whole country - Aigyptos, or Egypt. Temple, existing since the times of the Old Kingdom, the development of successive rulers until the Age of Late. Southeast of the temple was located less iconic buildings and the royal palace of Merenptah, the lord of the nineteenth dynasty.
In the year 3100 BC Memphis was the first city whose population exceeded 30 thousand inhabitants. Around 1557 BC in terms of population Memphis became the largest city in the world. The importance of the city is evidenced by the necropolis, extending for over 30 km on the edge of the desert. The necropolis includes Dahshur, Saqqara, Abusir, Abu Gurab, Giza, and Abu Rawash.
Dahshur necropolis is located about 3 km south of the necropolis at Saqqara. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 5 pyramids were built here: two king Snefru (the father of Cheops) of the fourth dynasty and three: Amenemhat II, Senweseret III and Amenemhat III of dynasty XII. Pyramids Sneferu at Dahshur, in terms of size are the third and fourth place after the pyramids of Cheops and Khafre. Often they are called: Red and Broken.
The name Saqqara comes from Sokar (Sokaris), the deity guarding the necropolis. The Saqqara necropolis is an ancient burial place of the kings of ancient dynasties and state dignitaries. It is possible that within was buried the first known king of Egypt, Narmer. The most famous monument is the pyramid of Djoser. In the cemetery is also the first mastaba. In the pyramids of Saqqara were found Pyramid Texts - decorating the walls of a collection of hieroglyphic inscriptions describing the travels of Pharaoh in afterlife and the metamorphosis of his spirit. In the tomb of a dignitary named Chenery in 1861 was found the famous Table of Saqqara, containing the list of the names of kings of Egypt from Anedjib (I Dynasty) to Ramses II.
In the Abusir were built 14 pyramids, 4 of them belong to the most important kings of the V dynasty - the first who embrace the title of Sa-Re, the "Son of the Sun". Their pyramids at Abusir are often called "Pyramids of the Sons of the Sun". According to the myth, the birth of kings took place under the protection of the god Ra, who obtained the favor of the gods for their mother Radżedet. She gave birth three sons, the first three kings of the new V dynasty. The best preserved buildings is Sahure. These temples are an example of the craftsmanship of the construction of the ancient Egyptians, exhibiting the ability to compile stone colors: white limestone and alabaster, red and black granite and black basalt.
In Abu Gurab is the most famous temple of solar from Dynasty V period. It is a temple of the Sun God Re built by Niuserre. It is the only completely stone and almost completely preserved temple of the solar system. On the walls are immortalized scenes of Niuserre during feast sed. Its focal point was the obelisk height 36 m, standing on a pedestal height 20 m and sloping walls. The obelisk was in the courtyard with dimensions of 75 m to 100 m, where also was a big alabaster sacrificial table with dimensions of 6 m to 6 m. On the side of the courtyard were located warehouses and sacrificial slaughter of cattle. In the pedestal of the obelisk was decorated a small room, now called the chamber of the Worlds or the the chamber of the seasons, which were unique reliefs with representations of processes and events occurring in nature during the different seasons, including humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, or the image of nature and the surrounding world through the eyes of contemporary Egyptians.
Abu Rawash is located 10 km north of Giza. Its name comes from a nearby modern town of Arabic. This area was a burial site since prehistoric times and the times I and II dynasties. The most famous monument of Abu Rawash is the telepathic pyramid Djedefre, belonging to the kings of ancient Egypt from the fourth dynasty. In the Abu Rawash was found the first known sphinx.
Memphis lost its importance after the founding of Alexandria, which took over a large part of its economic functions, was finally forgotten after the introduction of Christianity as the only religion of the Roman Empire during the reign of Emperor Theodosius.
The Arabs, who conquered Egypt in 641, founded his capital on the east bank of the Nile, north of Memphis, in al-Fustat (Old Cairo today).
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