Ancient site · Giza
Memphis
Egypt's first great capital, its ruins beside the village of Mit Rahina, where an open-air museum shows a colossal Ramesses II and the alabaster sphinx.
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The story
Ancient tradition credits King Menes with founding Memphis after he united the two lands, and it served as Egypt's capital in the Early Dynastic Period and the Old Kingdom, remaining a major centre of trade and worship throughout pharaonic history. Its patron was Ptah, the god of craftsmen and creation, whose great temple was among the city's landmarks. Its importance faded with the rise of Alexandria and the spread of Christianity, and the abandoned city was later quarried for stone that went into Cairo and Fustat. Today only scattered remains survive, gathered in an open-air museum at Mit Rahina. Memphis forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage site Memphis and its Necropolis, the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur.
Good to know
- The Greek name Memphis comes from the ancient Egyptian Men-nefer, often translated as the enduring and beautiful.
- The city was also called the White Walls, because its mud-brick walls were painted white.
- Ptah was the patron god of Memphis, and the name of his great temple, Hut-ka-Ptah, is thought to be the origin of the word Egypt.
- Highlights of the open-air museum include a huge reclining statue of Ramesses II and a sphinx carved from alabaster.
Visiting tips
The site is compact and is usually visited together with Saqqara and Dahshur on a single trip south of Giza, as all lie within the Memphis necropolis. Opening hours and prices differ between sources, so please check them before visiting.