Memphis Necropolis

Description

Just a short way from Saqqara lie the remains of Memphis, the world’s first imperial city, founded in about 3100 BC by King Menes. Old Kingdom Pharaohs and nobility were buried in its necropolis at Saqqara. 

As the first capital of a united Egypt, Memphis was symbolically built at the place where the delta met the couthern valley. Even after the 5th century BC, when Thebes had long taken over as the capital of Egypt, it was a splendid city, a thriving commercial centre and an important cult centre dedicated to the God Ptah. It’s hard to imagine such splendor today, as the mud brick palaces have dissolved and the stones of its temples, including the grand temple of Ptah, were plundered centuries ago for other buildings.

The sleepy village of Mit Rahina has few minor statues. Its tiny museum has a fine limestone colossus of Ramses II as a young man, and a beautiful alabaster sphinx in the garden.