In around 2055 BC, a Theban aristocrat named Mentuhotep II conquered and united Egypt, moving the capital to Thebes. As early as 3200 BC, Thebes was an incredibly important city due to its worship of Amon, one of Egypt’s most prominent gods. Thebes eventually replaced Memphis as the capital of ancient Egypt, becoming one of the most powerful ancient cities in the world. Thebes: Mausoleum Of The Great Pharaohs General View of the Back of the Temple of Karnak, by Henri Bechard, late 19th Century, Detroit Institute of Arts This was the Rosetta Stone, one of the most important archaeological discoveries in human history.Ģ. In 196 BC, Ptolemy V issued a decree, which was transcribed onto a tablet in three languages by scribes at Memphis. After he died, Alexander was entombed at Memphis, and one of his commanders, Ptolemy, established the Ptolemaic Dynasty. In 331 BC, Alexander the Great was crowned Pharaoh at Memphis after seizing Egypt from the Persians. Please check your inbox to activate your subscription Thank you!
In 525 BC, the Achaemenid Persian king Cambyses II captured Memphis, which became the capital of the Persian satrapy of Egypt. But the city was rapidly rebuilt due to its religious importance even though Egypt continued to be subjugated by foreign powers. When the Assyrians invaded Egypt in 671 BC, Memphis was razed to the ground twice. Despite being superseded as the capital by cities such as Thebes, Memphis was still hugely significant as a cultural and religious metropolis. The most important monument in the city was the Temple of Ptah, one of the oldest Egyptian gods. Memphis was one of several major cities expanded by the great Pharaoh Ramesses II in the 13 th Century BC. Such was the symbolism of Memphis that Pharaohs throughout Egypt’s long history would be crowned in the city. Memphis occupied a prominent position at the beginning of the Nile Valley and is close to the pyramid at Giza and the necropolis at Saqqara. One of Egypt’s oldest and most important ancient cities, Memphis, was the capital of the Old Kingdom. Memphis: One Of Egypt’s Most Important Ancient Cities City of Memphis and Colossus of Ramesses II in Memphis, Egypt, via flickr