Editing Memphis, Egypt (section)

==Remains==
During the time of the New Kingdom, and especially under the reign of the rulers of the [[Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt|Nineteenth Dynasty]], Memphis flourished in power and size, rivalling Thebes both politically and [[Ancient Egyptian architecture|architecturally]]. An indicator of this development can be found in a chapel of [[Seti I]] dedicated to the worship of Ptah. After more than a century of excavations on the site, archaeologists have gradually been able to confirm the layout and expansion of the ancient city.

===Great Temple of Ptah===
[[File:Memphis-temple-Ptah.jpg|thumb|left|Artist's depiction of the western forecourt of the Great Temple of Ptah at Memphis]]

The ''Hout-ka-Ptah'',{{#tag:ref|<hiero>Q3:X1-V28-O6-X1:O1-D28-O49</hiero><br />''ḥw.t-k3-Ptḥ'' = Hout-ka-Ptah|group=Fnt|name=hierogtop}} dedicated to the worship of the creator god [[Ptah]], was the largest and most important temple in ancient Memphis. It was one of the most prominent structures in the city, occupying a large precinct within the city's centre. Enriched by centuries of veneration, the temple was one of the three foremost places of worship in Ancient Egypt, the others being the great temples of [[Ra]] in [[Heliopolis (Ancient Egypt)|Heliopolis]], and of [[Amun]] in Thebes.

Much of what is known today about the ancient temple comes from the writings of Herodotus, who visited the site at the time of the first Persian invasion, long after the fall of the New Kingdom. Herodotus claimed that the temple had been founded by [[Menes]], and that the core building of the complex was restricted to priests and kings.<ref>Herodotus, ''The Histories'' (Vol II), § 99.</ref> His account, however, gives no physical description of the complex. Archaeological work undertaken in the last century has gradually unearthed the temple's ruins, revealing a huge walled compound accessible by several monumental gates located along the southern, western, and eastern walls.

The remains of the great temple and its premises are displayed as an open-air museum near the great [[#Statues of Rameses II|colossus]] of Ramesses II, which originally marked the southern axis of the temple. Also in this sector is a large [[sphinx]] monolith, discovered in the nineteenth century. It dates from the [[Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt|Eighteenth Dynasty]], most likely having been carved during the reign of either [[Amenhotep II]] or [[Thutmose IV]]. It is one of the finest examples of this kind statuary still present on its original site. The outdoor museum houses numerous other statues, colossi, sphinxes, and architectural elements. However, the majority of the finds have been sold to major museums around the world. For the most part, these can be found on display in the [[Egyptian Museum]] in Cairo.

The specific appearance of the temple is unclear at present, and only that of the main access to the perimeter are known. Recent developments include the discovery of giant statues that adorned the gates or towers. Those that have been found date from the reign of Ramsses II. This king also built at least three shrines within the temple compound, where worship is associated with those deities to whom they were dedicated.

===Temple of Ptah of Ramesses II===
This small temple, adjoining the southwest corner of the larger Temple of Ptah, was dedicated to the deified Ramesses II, along with the three state deities: Horus, Ptah and Amun. It is known in full as the Temple of Ptah of Ramesses, Beloved of [[Amun]], God, Ruler of Heliopolis.<ref>Anthes, ''Mit Rahineh'', p. 66.</ref>

Its ruins were discovered in 1942 by archaeologist Ahmed Badawy and were excavated in 1955 by Rudolf Anthes. The excavations uncovered a religious building complete with a tower, a courtyard for ritual offerings, a portico with columns followed by a pillared hall and a tripartite sanctuary, all enclosed in walls built of mudbricks. Its most recent exterior has been dated from the New Kingdom era.

The temple opened to the east toward a path paved with other religious buildings. The archaeological explorations that took place here reveal that the southern part of the city indeed contain a large number of religious buildings with a particular devotion to the god Ptah, the principal deity of Memphis.

===Temple of Ptah and Sekhmet of Ramesses II===
[[File:MerenptahOfferingtoPtah.jpg|thumb|180px|Column depicting Merenptah making an offering to Ptah]]

Located farther east, and near to the great colossus of Ramesses, this small temple is attributed to the nineteenth dynasty, and seems to have been dedicated to Ptah and his divine consort [[Sekhmet]], as well as deified Ramesses II. Its ruins are not so well preserved as others nearby, as its limestone foundations appear to have been quarried after the abandonment of the city in late antiquity.

Two giant statues, dating from the Middle Kingdom, originally adorned the building's facade, which opened to the west. They were moved inside the Museum of Memphis, and depicted the king standing in the attitude of the march, wearing the [[Hedjet]], the white crown of Upper Egypt.

===Temple of Ptah of Merneptah===
In the southeast of the Great Temple complex, the king [[Merneptah]] of the Nineteenth Dynasty founded a new shrine in honour of the chief deity of the city, Ptah. This temple was discovered in the early twentieth century by Flinders Petrie, who identified it as a depiction of the Greek god [[Proteus]] cited by Herodotus.

The site was excavated during the First World War by Clarence Stanley Fisher. Excavations began in the anterior part, which is formed by a large courtyard of approximately 15 sq metres, opening on the south by a large door with reliefs supplying the names of the king and the epithets of Ptah. Only this part of the temple has been unearthed; the remainder of the chamber has yet to be explored a little farther north. During the excavations, archaeologists unearthed the first traces of an edifice built of mudbrick, which quickly proved to be a large ceremonial palace built alongside the temple proper. Some of the key elements of the stone temple were donated by Egypt to the [[University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology|museum]] at the [[University of Pennsylvania]], which financed the expedition, while the other remained at the [[Egyptian Museum]] in [[Cairo]].

The temple remained in use throughout the rest of the New Kingdom, as evidenced by enrolment surges during the reigns of later kings. Thereafter, however, it was gradually abandoned and converted for other uses by civilians. Gradually buried by the activity of the city, the stratigraphic study of the site shows that by the [[Late Period of ancient Egypt|Late Period]] it was already in ruins and is soon covered by new buildings.

===Temple of Hathor===
[[File:Temple d'Hathor pano.jpg|thumb|left|The ruins of the temple of Hathor of Memphis]]

This small temple of Hathor was unearthed south of the great wall of the Hout-Ka-Ptah by Abdullah al-Sayed Mahmud in the 1970s and also dates from the time of Ramesses II.<ref name="ReferenceA">Mahmud, ''A new temple for Hathor at Memphis''.</ref> Dedicated to the goddess [[Hathor]], Lady of the Sycamore, it presents an architecture similar to the small temple-shrines known especially to [[Karnak]]. From its proportions, it does not seem to be a major shrine of the goddess, but is currently the only building dedicated to her discovered in the city's ruins.

It is believed that this shrine was primarily used for processional purposes during major religious festivals. A larger temple dedicated to Hathor, indeed one of the foremost shrines of the goddess in the country, is thought to have existed elsewhere in the city, but to date has not been discovered. A depression, similar to that found near the great temple of Ptah, could indicate its location. Archaeologists believe that it could house the remains of an enclosure and a large monument, a theory attested by ancient sources.

===Other temples===
The temple of the goddess [[Neith]] was said to have been located to the north of the temple of Ptah. It has not been discovered to date.

Memphis is believed to have housed a number of other temples dedicated to deities who accompanied Ptah. Some of these sanctuaries are attested by ancient hieroglyphs, but have not yet been found among the ruins of the city. Surveys and excavations are still continuing at nearby Mit Rahina, and will likely add to the knowledge of the planning of the ancient religious city.

===Temples to foreign deities===
A temple dedicated to [[Mithras]], dated from the [[Roman Egypt|Roman period]], has been uncovered in the grounds north of Memphis. The temple of [[Astarte]], described by Herodotus, was located in the area reserved to the [[Phoenicians]] during the time when the Greek author visited the city, but has not been discovered to date.

====Temple of Sekhmet====
A temple dedicated to the goddess [[Sekhmet]], consort of Ptah, has not yet been found, but is currently certified by Egyptian sources. Archaeologists are still searching for remains. It may be located within the precinct of the Hout-ka-Ptah, as would seem to suggest several discoveries made among the ruins of the complex in the late nineteenth century, including a block of stone evoking the "great door" with the epithet of the goddess,<ref>Brugsch, ''Collection of Egyptian monuments'', p. 6 and plate IV, 1.</ref> and a column bearing an inscription on behalf of Ramesses II declaring him "beloved of Sekhmet".<ref>Brugsch, ''Collection of Egyptian monuments'', p. 8 and plate IV, 5.</ref> It has also been demonstrated through the [[Papyrus Harris I|Great Harris Papyrus]], which states that a statue of the goddess was made alongside those of Ptah and their son, the god [[Nefertem]], during the reign of [[Rameses III|Ramesses III]], and that it was commissioned for the deities of Memphis at the heart of the great temple.<ref>Breasted, ''Ancient Records of Egypt'', § 320 p. 166</ref><ref>Grandet, ''Le papyrus Harris I'', § 47,6 p. 287.</ref>

====Temple of Apis====
[[File:Louvres-antiquites-egyptiennes-p1020068.jpg|thumb|A statue of the sacred bull, Apis, found at the Serapeum of Saqqara.]]

The Temple of Apis in Memphis was the main temple dedicated to the worship of the bull [[Apis (deity)|Apis]], considered to be a living manifestation of Ptah. It is detailed in the works of classical historians such as Herodotus, Diodorus, and [[Strabo]], but its location has yet to be discovered amidst the ruins of the ancient capital. According to Herodotus, who described the temple's courtyard as a [[peristyle]] of columns with giant statues, it was built during the reign of [[Psamtik I]]. The Greek historian Strabo visited the site with the conquering Roman troops, following the victory against [[Cleopatra]] in the [[Battle of Actium]]. He details that the temple consisted of two chambers, one for the bull and the other for his mother, and all was built near the temple of Ptah. At the temple, Apis was used as an [[oracle]], his movements being interpreted as [[prophecy|prophecies]]. His breath was believed to cure disease, and his presence to bless those around with virility. He was given a window in the temple through which he could be seen, and on certain holidays was led through the streets of the city, bedecked with jewellery and flowers.

In 1941, the archaeologist [[Ahmed Badawy (archaeologist)|Ahmed Badawy]] discovered the first remains in Memphis that depicted the god Apis. The site, located within the grounds of the great temple of Ptah, was revealed to be a mortuary chamber designed exclusively for the [[embalming]] of the sacred bull. A [[stele]] found at Saqqara shows that [[Nectanebo II]] had ordered the restoration of this building, and elements dated from the [[Thirtieth Dynasty of Egypt|Thirtieth Dynasty]] have been unearthed in the northern part of the chamber, confirming the time of reconstruction in this part of the temple. It is likely that the mortuary was part of the larger temple of Apis cited by ancient sources. This sacred part of the temple would be the only part that has survived, and would confirm the words of Strabo and Diodorus, both of whom stated that the temple was located near the temple of Ptah.<ref>Jones, ''The temple of Apis in Memphis'', pp. 145–147.</ref>

[[File:Siamun’s royal cartouche on a lintel.jpg|thumb|Ankhefenmut kneels before the royal cartouche of Siamun, on a lintel from the Temple of Amun in Memphis]]
The majority of known Apis statues come from the burial chambers known as [[Serapeum]], located to the northwest at [[Saqqara]]. The most ancient burials found at this site date back to the reign of [[Amenhotep III]].

====Temple of Amun====
During the [[Twenty-first dynasty of Egypt|Twenty-first Dynasty]], a shrine of the great god [[Amun]] was built by [[Siamun]] to the south of the temple of Ptah. This temple (or temples) was most likely dedicated to the [[Theban Triad]], consisting of Amun, his consort [[Mut]], and their son [[Khonsu]]. It was the Upper Egyptian counterpart of the Memphis Triad (Ptah, Sekhmet, and Nefertem).

====Temple of Aten====
A temple dedicated to [[Aten]] in Memphis is attested by hieroglyphs found within the tombs of Memphite dignitaries of the end of the [[Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt|Eighteenth Dynasty]], uncovered at Saqqara. Among them, that of [[Tutankhamun]], who began his career under the reign of his father, [[Akhenaten]], as a "steward of the temple of Aten in Memphis".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Gessler |first=Beatrix |title=2012 OLA 214 Ancient Memphis Pre-Amarna or post-Amarna?... B. Gessler-Löhr |url=https://www.academia.edu/5777067}}</ref>

Since the early excavations at Memphis in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, artefacts have been uncovered in different parts of the city that indicate the presence of a building dedicated to the worship of the [[Sun (hieroglyph)|sun disc]], The Aten. The location of such a building is lost, and various hypotheses have been made on this subject based on the place of discovery of the remains of the [[Amarna Period]] features.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Neale |first=Sandra |title=AKHENATEN AND THE AMARNA PERIOD - SOME FURTHER THOUGHTS AND CONSIDERATIONS |url=https://www.academia.edu/4462750}|website=[[Academia.edu]]}}</ref>

===Statues of Ramesses II===
[[File:Colossal sculpture of Ramesses II.stl|thumb|A 3-D scan of the colossal sculpture of Ramesses II in Memphis museum, Egypt]]
[[File:Flickr - IDS.photos - Cairo sculptures, Egypt. (1).jpg|thumb|The colossus of Ramesses II in the open-air museum]]
The ruins of ancient Memphis have yielded a large number of sculptures representing [[Rameses II|Ramesses II]].
Within the museum in Memphis is a giant statue of him carved of monumental [[limestone]], about 10 metres in length. It was discovered in 1820 near the southern gate of the temple of Ptah by Italian archaeologist [[Giovanni Battista Caviglia|Giovanni Caviglia]]. Because the base and feet of the sculpture are broken off from the rest of the body, it is currently displayed lying on its back. Some of the colours are still partially preserved, but the beauty of this statue lies in its flawless detail of the complex and subtle forms of human anatomy. The king wears the white crown of Upper Egypt, [[Hedjet]].

Caviglia offered to send the statue to Grand Duke of Tuscany, [[Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany|Leopold II]], through the mediation of [[Ippolito Rosellini]]. Rosellini advised the sovereign of the terrible expenses involved with transportation, and considered as necessary the cutting of the colossus into pieces. The [[Wāli]] and self-declared [[Khedive]] of Egypt and Sudan, [[Muhammad Ali of Egypt|Muhammad Ali Pasha]], offered to donate it to the [[British Museum]], but the museum declined the offer because of the difficult task of shipping the huge statue to London. It therefore remained in the archaeological area of Memphis in the museum built to protect it.

The colossus was one of a pair that historically adorned the eastern entrance to the temple of Ptah. [[Statue of Ramesses II (Mit Rahina)|The other]], found in the same year also by Caviglia, was restored in the 1950s to its full standing height of 11 metres. It was first displayed in the Bab Al-Hadid square in Cairo, which was subsequently renamed Ramses Square. Deemed an unsuitable location, it was moved in 2006 to a temporary location in [[Giza]], where it underwent restoration before being installed at the entrance of the [[Grand Egyptian Museum]] in January 2018. A replica of the statues stands in a suburb of [[Cairo]], [[Heliopolis (Cairo suburb)|Heliopolis]].

===Memphite Necropolis===
{{Main|Memphite Necropolis}}
[[File:Pyramid of Djoser.jpg|thumb|left|The famed stepped [[Pyramid of Djoser]] at Saqqara, the Memphis necropolis]]
Because of its antiquity and its large population, Memphis had several [[List of necropoleis|necropoleis]] spread along the valley, including the most famous, [[Saqqara]]. In addition, the urban area consisted of cemeteries that were constructed to the west of the great temple. The sanctity of these places inevitably attracted the devout and the faithful, who sought either to make an offering to [[Osiris]], or to bury another.

The part of the city called ''Ankh-tawy'' was already included in the Middle Kingdom necropolis. Expansions of the western sector of the temple of Ptah were ordered by the kings of the [[Twenty-second dynasty of Egypt|Twenty-second Dynasty]], seeking to revive the past glory of the Ramesside age. Within this part of the site was founded a necropolis of the high priests.

According to sources, the site also included a chapel or an oratory to the goddess [[Bastet]], which seems consistent with the presence of monuments of rulers of the dynasty following the cult of [[Bubastis]]. Also in this area were the [[mortuary temple]]s devoted by various New Kingdom kings, whose function is paralleled by Egyptologists to that played by the [[Temples of a Million years]] of the Theban kings.

===Royal palaces===
Memphis was the seat of power for the kings of more than eight [[List of ancient Egyptian dynasties|dynasties]]. According to Manetho, the first royal palace was founded by [[Hor-Aha]], the successor of [[Narmer]], the founder of the [[First dynasty of Egypt|1st Dynasty]]. He built a fortress in Memphis of white walls. Egyptian sources tell of the palaces of the Old Kingdom rulers, some of which were built underneath major royal pyramids. They were immense in size, and were embellished with parks and lakes.<ref>Lalouette, ''Textes sacrés et textes profanes de l'Ancienne Égypte'' (Vol II), pp. 175–177.</ref> In addition to the palaces described below, other sources indicate the existence of a palace founded in the city by [[Thutmose I]], which was still operating under the reign of [[Tuthmosis IV]].
[[File:Memphis200402.JPG|thumb|left|The ruins of the palace of Apries, overlooking Memphis]]

According to official texts of his reign, Merneptah ordered the building of a large walled enclosure housing a new temple and an adjoining palace.<ref>Herodotus, ''The Histories'' (Vol II), § 112.</ref> Later [[Apries]], had a palatial complex constructed at Kom Tuman on a promontory overlooking the city. It was part of a series of structures built within the temple precinct in the Late Period, and contained a royal palace, a fortress, barracks, and armouries. [[Flinders Petrie]] excavated the area and found considerable signs of military activity.<ref>Petrie, ''The Palace of Apries (Memphis II)'', § II, pp. 5–7 & plates III to IX.</ref>

===Other buildings===
The centrally located palaces and temples were surrounded by different districts of the city, in which were many craftsmen's workshops, arsenals, and dockyards. Also were residential neighbourhoods, some of which were inhabited primarily by foreigners—first [[Hittites]] and [[Phoenicians]], later [[Persian people|Persians]], and finally [[Greek people|Greeks]]. The city was indeed located at the crossroads of trade routes and thus attracted goods imported from diverse regions of the Mediterranean.

Ancient texts confirm that citywide development took place regularly. Furthermore, there is evidence that the [[Nile]] has shifted over the centuries to the east, leaving new lands to occupy in the eastern part of the old capital.<ref>Jeffreys, D.G.; Smith, H.S (1988). ''The eastward shift of the Nile's course through history at Memphis'', pp. 58–59.</ref> This area of the city was dominated by the large eastern gate of the temple of Ptah.