The name of Memphis is derived from the Ancient Egyptian name called Min-Nefer, then Greeks called it latter Memphis. Nowadays it is a local village called Mit Rahina.
It was founded in the 1st Dynasty (3100 B.C) by King Narmar, Memphis was the capital of Ancient Egypt, and the first capital city founded after the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt. It remained as the capital of Ancient Egypt throughout the Old Kingdom.
Memphis was a centre for the worship of Ptah, god of creation and artworks, The creator god Ptah, his consort Sekhmet, and their son Nefertem, were the main focus of worship in the city which formed Memphis triad.
The city of Memphis was the capital of ancient Egypt. It was the King’s residence and the political administrative center until around 2,200 BC.after unification for upper and lower Egypt.
First, the city was having many fine temples, palaces and gardens. the city became scattered ruins, most of the city is gone, or lies below cultivated fields, the city considered an open air museum includes vast monuments such as The Ramesses II statue, it is enormous statue carved in limestone. It is about 10m (33.8 ft) long.
To the west of Memphis museum visitors can see several embalming tables from the ‘House of the Apis Bulls’. These animals were sacred to the god Ptah and after living out a pampered life, were ritually mummified and placed to rest with great ceremony in the Serapeum at Saqqara.
Today the site centers around the modern village of Mit Rahina on the west bank of the Nile, south of Cairo and is reduced to a small museum and an enclosure where statues are exhibited.
The village of Mit Rahina is situated about 24km from Cairo, Take the road south from Giza to the village of El-Badrashein and turn off to the west. The trip can be easily combined with a visit to Saqqara which is only around 3km south of Mit Rahina.
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