Egyptian civilization is one of the mostancient. For its long history of the capital many times were transferred from one city to another. This was due to the political views and whims of the ruling dynasty. For a long time in the state there were even two capitals. More than 6 millennia it was divided into Upper and Lower Egypt, each of which had its main city. The oldest capital of Egypt was the city of Memphis. When the two parts of the country united, he grew up on the former border.
According to archaeological excavations conducted on the territory of the State of Ancient Egypt, the capital of Memphis dates back to the 22nd century BC. e. At that time, Pharaoh Menes (Mes) was in power.
At the time of the founding, the first capital of Ancient Egypt was called Inbuhej. In translation into Russian it means "white walls". This was the name of the fortress, near which the city was built.
Under the reign of Pharaoh Pepi II Neferkar in 2279 -2219 years BC. e. The name of the ancient capital of Egypt was changed to Memphis, which translates as "strong and beautiful Pepi." This name has been preserved for her for the rest of the story.
The city occupied an important place in the life of civilization,called Ancient Egypt. The capital carried out religious, political, agricultural and handicraft functions. Memphis has remained an important city in the country for a long time.
The best combat uniforms and chariots came from the workshops of Memphis. He was the center of the defense industry of the ancient world.
Important memorials were erected in Memphis dedicated to Ptahu and Apis. Here was the cult of these deities.
The lands around the capital were very fertile.The Nile spread widely and nourished the soil with mud. Thus, she received a natural fertilizer. Most of the inhabitants of Memphis were engaged in agriculture. They grew cotton, grapes, figs and cereals, collected rose oil, and bred sheep.
The peasants gathered a rich harvest from the fields.The sheep grew and multiplied well. The local flocks reached several hundred thousand heads. Therefore, there were no problems with food for all residents of the royal court. Numerous palace servants, priests, servants and slaves were always full.
For a long history of the state Ancient Egypt the capital was transferred from Memphis to other cities. So, Memphis wore the status of the main city of Egypt in the following periods:
In 715 - 664 years BC., when the Ethiopian XXV dynasty was in power, the official capital was located in the city of Napata. But in fact Memphis remained the political center, all state orders proceeded from it.
In 525 - 404, 343 - 332 years BC. e. and 332 - 322 years BC. Persians and Macedonians were in power, respectively. They ruled the country from Memphis.
From 342 BC.the decline of the capital of the ancient kingdom of Egypt begins. The geographical position of Memphis has ceased to be relevant. He was in the desert. The new government needed an outlet to the sea, which would allow trade with the Mediterranean countries. Therefore, the city lost its former importance.
In addition, the Arab conquest of the country and the construction of Cairo began, which became the new capital. To build its buildings, the Arabs used a stone from the beautiful palaces of Memphis.
For a long time the capital of Ancient Egypt, Memphis,was hidden under the mud, which was inflicted by the waters of the Nile. Excavations began only in the XVIII - XIX centuries. This was facilitated by the campaign of Napoleon and the interest of Europe in Egyptology, which was on the rise at that time.
The country was occupied by Great Britain.The British exported from Egypt everything that was possible to transport by sea. It was then that a part of the buildings of Memphis was discovered - the ruins of the temple of the god Ptah and Serapeum, the cemetery of bulls Apis. These animals were the earthly incarnation of the god Ptah.
The most famous archaeological sitea landmark in the area of the ancient capital is the Memphis necropolis. It stretches for 35 km to the west of the city. It includes several archaeological zones - Giza, Sakkara, Abu-Roash, Abusir and Zawi-el-Arian.
Also famous are the ruins of the temple of Ptah.But from him almost nothing was saved. But the two statues of Ramses II, which stood in front of the temple, almost completely escaped. They have a height of 13 meters. One of them is made of granite, the other is made of limestone.
The alley of the Sphinx led to the temple of Ptah, from which only one survived. The pyramids and tombs of the necropolis of Memphis were plundered and almost completely destroyed.
Archaeological excavations have shown that Memphisstretched for many kilometers. But most of its area was occupied by residential quarters that did not communicate with each other. They sprouted around the palaces of the pharaohs. During the Arab conquest in the neighborhoods, people of one profession or a certain origin began to settle.
Excavation lasts more than two centuries. But for today only a quarter of the city's territory has been studied.
One of the surviving statues of Ramses II in 1955 was installed on the square in front of the railway station in Cairo.
The second statue is in a special garden in the territory of Memphis. It was discovered in 1820. Some of her legs were not preserved.
In the same garden there is a table made of alabaster. It was used to embalm Apis, the sacred bull. Also worthy of attention eight-meter sphinx.
Partially preserved necropolis of Memphis.It consists of many tombs and pyramids. Some of its sections - Giza, Abusir, Sakkara and Dahshur - were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979.
An important city of the country Ancient Egypt, the capitalMemphis, has passed a long historical path. Its ruins lie to the south-west of Cairo. Their modern neighbors are the small settlements of El Badrashein and Mit-Rahin.
Their inhabitants, like the people who inhabited these landsmany centuries ago, are engaged in agriculture and sheep breeding. But with the growing interest of tourists to the historical monuments of Egypt, they begin to change their activities. Some residents switch to making figurines, which they give out for the ancient Egyptian, and others - for work as guides.
But the last kind of earnings is doubtful.After all, most archaeological finds are not shown to tourists. For example, the Ptaha Temple is often flooded with groundwater, which makes it inaccessible for visiting. Other interesting findings are only open to scientists and archaeologists. Tourists also offer only to admire the groves of date trees, listen to a brief historical overview and go further.
