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Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Hieroglyphs in Memphis with a statue of Ramses II in the background
Criteria	Cultural: i, iii, vi
Reference	86
Inscription	1979 (3rd Session)

Memphis (Template:Lang-ar) was the ancient capital of the first nome of Lower Egypt. Its ruins are located near the town of Helwan, south of Cairo.

According to legend related by Manetho, the city was founded by the pharaoh Menes around 3000 BCE. Capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom, it remained an important city throughout ancient Mediterranean history. It occupied a strategic position at the mouth of the Nile delta, and was home to feverish activity. Its principal port, Peru-nefer, harboured 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 under the protection of the god Ptah, the patron of craftsmen. His great temple, Hout-ka-Ptah (meaning "Castle of the ka of Ptah"), was one of the most prominent structures in the city. The name of this temple, rendered in Greek as Aί γυ πτoς (Ai-gy-ptos) by the historian 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 be due to the loss of its economical significance in late antiquity, following the rise of coastal Alexandria. Its religious significance also diminished after the abandonment of the ancient religion following the Edict of Thessalonica.

The ruins of the former capital, along with the pyramid complex at Giza, have been preserved as a World Heritage Site since 1979.

Typonomy

Memphis has had several names during its history of almost four millennia. Its Ancient Egyptian name was Inebou-Hedjou, and later, Ineb-Hedj (translated as "the White Walls"), because of its majestic fortifications and crenallations.

Because of its size, the city also came to be known by various other names that were actually the names of neighbourhoods or districts that enjoyed considerable prominence at one time or another. For example, according to a text of the First Intermediate Period, it was known Djed-Sut, which is the name of the pyramid of Teti.

The city was also at one point referred to as Ankh-Tawy (meaning "That which binds the Two Lands"), stressing the strategic position of the city between Upper and Lower Egypt. This name appears to date from the Middle Kingdom (c. 2055–1640 BCE), and is frequently found in ancient Egyptian texts. Some scholars maintain that this name was actually that of the western district of the city that lay between the great Temple of Ptah and the necropolis at Saqqara, an area that contained a sacred tree.

At the beginning of the New Kingdom (c. 1550 BCE), the city became known as Men-nefer (meaning "the good place"), which became Menfe in Coptic. The name "Memphis" (Template:Polytonic) is the Greek corruption of this name, which was originally the name of the pyramid of Pepi I, located west of the city.

The Egyptian historian Manetho referred to Memphis as Hi-Ku-P'tah (meaning "Place of the ka of Ptah"), which he approximated in Greek as Aί γυ πτoς (Ai-gy-ptos), from which derives the Latin AEGYPTVS and the modern English name of Egypt. The term Copt is also believed to be etymologically derived from this name.

In the Bible, Memphis is called Moph or Noph.

Location

The ruins of Memphis are 20 km (12 miles) south of Cairo, on the west bank of the Nile. The modern cities and towns of Mit Rahina, Dahshur, Saqqara, Abusir, Abu Gorab, and Zawyet el'Aryan, south of Cairo, all lie within the administrative borders of historical Memphis (29°50′58.8″N 31°15′15.4″E / 29.849667°N 31.254278°E / 29.849667; 31.254278). The city was also the place that marked the boundary between Upper and Lower Egypt. (The 22nd nome of Upper Egypt and 1st nome of Lower Egypt).

History

Memphis (mn nfr) in hieroglyphs

Founding

According to Herodotus, the city was founded around 3100 BC by Menes, who united the two kingdoms of Egypt. It has been theorized that King Menes was possibly a mythical king, similar to Romulus and Remus, the mythical first rulers of Rome. Most likely Egypt became unified through mutual need, developing cultural ties over time and trading partnerships though it is still understood that the first capital of Ancient Egypt was the lower Egyptian city of Memphis. The story most likely just got passed on to Herodotus. However. Egyptologists have also identified the legendary 'Menes' with the historical King Narmer, who is represented in the Palette of Narmer conquering the Nile Delta in Lower Egypt and establishing himself as pharaoh. This Palette has been dated to ca. 31st century BC, and would thus correlate with the story of Egypt's unification by Menes.

Population

Estimates of population size differ widely. According to T. Chandler, Memphis had some 30,000 inhabitants and was by far the largest settlement worldwide from the time of its foundation until around 2250 BC and from 1557 to 1400 BC. K. A. Bard is more cautious and estimates the city's population to have amounted to about 6,000 inhabitants during the Old Kingdom.

Significance

Memphis became the capital of Ancient Egypt for many consecutive dynasties during the Old Kingdom. Memphis reached a peak of prestige under the 6th Dynasty as a centre of the cult of Ptah, the Egyptian god of creation and artworks. The approximately 80-ton alabaster sphinx that guards the Temple of Ptah serves as a memorial of the city's former power and prestige. It declined briefly after the 18th Dynasty with the rise of Thebes and the New Kingdom, and was revived under the Persian satraps before falling firmly into second place following the foundation of Alexandria. Under the Roman Empire, Alexandria remained the most important city. Memphis remained the second city of Egypt until the establishment of Fustat (or Fostat) in 641. It was then largely abandoned and became a source of stone for the surrounding settlements. It was still an imposing set of ruins in the 12th century but soon became little more than an expanse of low ruins and scattered stone.

Ruins

During the time of the New Kingdom, and especially under the reign of the rulers of the Nineteenth dynasty, Memphis flourished in power and size, rivalling Thebes both politically and architecturally. An indicator of this development can be found in a chapel of Seti I dedicated to the worship of Ptah. After over a century of excavations on the site, archaeologists have gradually been able to confirm the layout and expansion of the ancient city.

Great Temple of Ptah

The Hout-ka-Ptah (meaning "Castle of the ka of Ptah"), dedicated to the worship of the creator god Ptah, was the largest and most important temple in ancient Memphis. It was one of the most prominent structures in the city, occupying a large precinct within the city's centre. Enriched by centuries of veneration, the temple was one of the three foremost places of worship in Ancient Egpyt, the others being the great temples of Horus in Heliopolis, and of Amun in Thebes.

Much of what is known about the ancient temple today comes from the writings of the Greek historian Herodotus, who visited the site at the time of the first Persian invasion, long after the fall of the New Kingdom. Herodotus claimed that the temple had been founded by Menes himself, and that the core building of the complex was restricted to priests and kings. His account, however, gives no physical description of the complex. Archaeological work undertaken in the last century has gradually unearthed the temple's ruins, revealing a huge walled compound accessible by several monumental gates located along the southern, western and eastern walls.

The remains of the great temple and its premises are displayed as an open-air museum near the great colossus of Ramesses II, which marked the southern axis of the temple. Also in this sector is a large sphinx monolith, discovered in the 19 century. It dates from the Eighteenth dynasty, most likely having been carved during the reign of either Amenhotep II or Thutmose IV. It is one of the finest examples of this kind statuary still present on its original site.

The outdoor museum houses numerous other statues, colossi, sphinxes, and architectural elements. However, the majority of the finds have been sold to major museums around the world. For the most part, these can be found on display in the Cairo Museum.

The specific appearance of the temple is unclear at present, and only that of the main access to the perimeter are known. Recent developments include the discovery of giant statues which adorned the gates or towers. Those that have been found date from the reign of Ramsses II. This pharaoh also built at least three shrines within the temple compound, where worship is associated with those deities to whom they were dedicated.

Temple of Ptah of Ramesses II

This small temple, adjoining the southwest corner of the larger Temple of Ptah, was dedicated to the deified Ramesses II, along with the three state gods: Horus, Ptah and Amun. It is known in full as the Temple of Ptah of Ramesses, Beloved of Amun, God, Ruler of Heliopolis.

Its ruins were discovered in 1942 by archaeologist Ahmed Badawy, and were excavated in 1955 by Rudolf Anthes. The excavations uncovered a religious building complete with a tower, a courtyard for ritual offerings, a portico with columns followed by a pillared hall and a tripartite sanctuary, all enclosed in walls built of mud bricks. Its most recent exterior has been dated from the New Kingdom era.

The temple opened to the east towards a path paved with other religious buildings. The archaeological explorations that took place here reveal that the southern part of the city indeed contain a large number of religious buildings with a particular devotion to the god Ptah, the principal god of Memphis.

Temple of Ptah and Sekhmet of Ramesses II

Located further east, and near to the great colossus of Ramesses, this small temple is attributed to the Nineteenth dynasty, and seems to have been dedicated to Ptah and his divine consort Sekhmet, as well as deified Ramesses II. Its ruins are not as well preserved as others nearby, as its limestone foundations appear to have been quarried after the abandonment of the city in late antiquity.

Two giant statues, dating from the Middle Kingdom, originally adorned the building's facade, which opened to the west. They were moved inside the Museum of Memphis, and depicted the pharaoh standing in the attitude of the march, wearing the white crown of Upper Egypt, Hedjet.

Temple of Ptah of Merneptah

In the southeast of the Great Temple complex, the pharaoh Merneptah, of the Nineteenth dynasty, founded a new shrine in honour of the chief god of the city, Ptah. This temple was discovered in the early 20 century by William Matthew Flinders Petrie, who identified a depiction of the Greek god Proteus cited by Herodotus.

The site was excavated during the First World War by Clarence Stanley Fisher. Excavations began in the anterior part, which is formed by a large courtyard of about 15 sq metres, opening on the south by a large door with reliefs supplying the names of the pharaoh and the epithets of Ptah. Only this part of the temple has been unearthed; the remainder of the chamber has yet to be explored a little further north. During the excavations, archaeologists unearthed the first traces of an edifice built of mud brick, which quickly proved to be a large ceremonial palace built alongside the temple proper. Some of the key elements of the stone temple were donated by Egypt to the museum at the University of Pennsylvania, which financed the expedition, while the other remained at the Museum in Cairo.

The temple remained in use throughout the rest of the New Kingdom, as evidenced by enrollment surges during the reigns of later pharaohs. Thereafter, however, it was gradually abandoned and converted for other uses by civilians. Gradually buried by the activity of the city, the stratigraphic study of the site shows that by the Late Period it is already in ruins and is soon covered by new buildings.

Temple of Hathor

This small temple of Hathor was unearthed south of the great wall of the Hout-Ka-Ptah by Abdullah al-Sayed Mahmud in the 1970s and also dates from the time of Ramesses II. Dedicated to the goddess Hathor, Lady of the Sycamore, it presents an architecture similar to the small temple-shrines known especially to Karnak. From its proportions, it does not seem to be major shrine of the goddess, but is currently the only building dedicated to her discovered in the city's ruins.

It is believed that this shrine was primarily used for processional purposes during major religious festivals. A larger temple dedicated to Hathor, indeed one of the foremost shrines of the goddess in the country, is thought to have existed elsewhere in the city, but to date has not been discovered. A depression, similar to that found near the great temple of Ptah, could indicate its location. Archaeologists believe that it could house the remains of an enclosure and a large monument, a theory attested by ancient sources.

Lost temples

Memphis is believed to have housed a number of other temples dedicated to gods who accompanied Ptah. Some of these sanctuaries are attested by ancient hieroglyphs, but have not yet been found among the ruins of the city. Surveys and excavations are still continuing at nearby Mit Rahina, and will likely add to the knowledge of the planning of the ancient religious city.

Temple of Sekhmet

A temple dedicated to the goddess Sekhmet, consort of Ptah, has not yet been found but is currently certified by Egyptian sources.

It may be located within the precinct of the Hout-ka-Ptah, as would seem to suggest several discoveries made among the ruins of the complex in the late 19 century, including a block of stone evoking the "great door" with the epithet of the goddess, and a column bearing an inscription on behalf of Ramesses II declaring him "beloved of Sekhmet". It has also been demonstrated through the Great Harris Papyrus, which states that a statue of the goddess was made alongside those of Ptah and their son, the god Nefertem, during the reign of Ramesses III, and that it was commissioned for the gods of Memphis at the heart of the great temple.

Temple of Apis

The Temple of Apis in Memphis was the main temple dedicated to the worship of the bull Apis, considered to be a living manifestation of Ptah. It is detailed in the works of classical historians such as Herodotus, Diodorus, and Strabo, but its location has yet to be discovered amidst the ruins of the ancient capital.

According to Herodotus, who described the temple's courtyard as a peristyle of columns with giant statues, it was built during the reign of Psammetichus I.

The Greek historian Strabo visited the site with the conquering Roman troops, following the victory against Cleopatra at Actium. He details that the temple consisted of two chambers, one for the bull and the other for his mother, and all was built near the temple of Ptah. At the temple, Apis was used as an oracle, his movements being interpreted as prophecies. His breath was believed to cure disease, and his presence to bless those around with virility. He was given a window in the temple through which he could be seen, and on certain holidays was led through the streets of the city, bedecked with jewellery and flowers.

In 1941, the archaeologist Ahmed Badawy discovered the first remains in Memphis which depicted the god Apis. The site, located within the grounds of the great temple of Ptah, was revealed to be a mortuary chamber designed exclusively for the embalming of the sacred bull. A stele found at Saqqara shows that Nectanebo II had ordered the restoration of this building, and elements dated from the Thirtieth dynasty have been unearthed in the northern part of the chamber, confirming the time of reconstruction in this part of the temple. It is likely that the mortuary was part of the larger temple of Apis cited by ancient sources. This sacred part of the temple would be the only part that has survived, and would confirm the words of Strabo and Diodorus, both of whom stated that the temple was located near the temple of Ptah.

The majority of known Apis statues come from the burial chambers known as Serapeum, located to the northwest at Saqqara. The most ancient burials found at this site date back to the reign of Amenhotep III.

Temple of Amun

During the Twenty-first dynasty, a shrine of the great god Amun was built by Siamun to the south of the temple of Ptah. This temple (or temples) was most likely dedicated to the Theban Triad, consisting of Amun, his consort Mut, and their son Khonsu. It was the Upper Egyptian counterpart of the Memphis Triad (Ptah, Sekhmet, and Nefertem).

Temple of Aten

A temple dedicated to Aten in Memphis is attested by hieroglyphs found within the tombs of Memphite dignitaries of the end of the Eighteenth dynasty, uncovered at Saqqara. Among them, that of Tutankhamun, who began his career under the reign of Akhenaten as a "steward of the temple of Aten in Memphis".

Since the early excavations at Memphis in the late 19 and early 20 centuries, artefacts have been uncovered in different parts of the city that indicate the presence of a building dedicated to the worship of the sun disc. The location of such a building is lost, and various hypotheses have been made on this subject based on the place of discovery of the remains of the Amarna period features.

Other temples

Described by Herodotus, the temple of Astarte was located in the area reserved to the Phoenicians during the time when the Greek author visited the city. The temple of the goddess Neith was said to have been located to the north of the temple of Ptah. Neither have been revealed to date.

Finally, a temple dedicated to Mithras, dated from the Roman period, has been uncovered in the grounds north of Memphis.

Remains

The remains of the temple of Ptah and of Apis have been uncovered at the site as well as a few statues, including two four-metre ones in alabaster of Ramesses II. The Saqqara necropolis is close to Memphis.

There is now an open-air museum in Memphis. This museum has many Ancient Egyptian statues on display, the most notable one being the 10m (33ft) Colossus of Ramesses II, which is held in a small indoor building on the site.

References

1. Katheryn A. Bard, Encyclopedia of the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt, Routledge 1999, p.694
2. Lynn Meskell, Private Life in New Kingdom Egypt, Princeton University Press 2002, p.34
3. Ian Shaw, The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, Oxford University Press 2003, p.279
4. National Geographic Society: Egypt's Nile Valley Suppliment Map, produced by the Cartographic Division.
5. Simson R. Najovits, Egypt, trunk of the tree: a modern survey of an ancient land (Vol. 1-2), Algora Publishing, p171.
6. Bridget McDermott, Decoding Egyptian Hieroglyphs: How to Read the Secret Language of the Pharaohs, Chronicle Books 2001, p.130
7. Herodotus, Euterpe, 2.99.4
8. The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Egypt by bill manley (1997)
9. Tertius Chandler, Four Thousand Years of Urban Growth, 1987
10. Katheryn A. Bard, Encyclopedia of the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt, Routledge 1999, p.250
11. National Geographic Society: Egypt's Nile Valley Supplement Map. (Produced by the Cartographic Division)
12. David Roberts, National Geographic: Egypt's Old Kingdom, Vol. 187, No.1, January 1995

Sources

• Baines & Malek Cultural Atlas of Ancient Egypt, 2000. ISBN 0-8160-4036-2

External links

• On the Memphis Theology
• Memphis site (Windows Live Local)

v t e Memphis and the Memphis pyramid complex
City	Memphis
Abu Rawash	Pyramid of Djedefre Lepsius I Pyramid
Giza	Giza pyramid complex Great Pyramid of Giza Pyramid of Khafre Pyramid of Menkaure Sphinx Pyramid of Khentkaus I
Zawyet el'Aryan	Layer Pyramid Unfinished Northern Pyramid of Zawyet el'Aryan
Abusir	Abu Gorab Pyramid of Userkaf Pyramid of Sahure Pyramid of Neferirkare Pyramid of Neferefre Unfinished Pyramid of Abusir Pyramid of Nyuserre
Saqqara	Step Pyramid Pyramid of Sekhemkhet Headless Pyramid Pyramid of Djedkare Pyramid of Unas Mastabet el-Fara'un Serapeum Pyramid of Teti Pyramid of Khendjer Southern South Saqqara pyramid Imhotep Museum
Dahshur	Bent Pyramid Red Pyramid Black Pyramid Pyramid of Ameny Qemau
Mazghuna	Southern Mazghuna pyramid Northern Mazghuna pyramid
See also	Egyptian pyramid construction techniques Lepsius list of pyramids

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29°50′40.8″N 31°15′3.3″E / 29.844667°N 31.250917°E / 29.844667; 31.250917

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• World Heritage Sites in Egypt
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