Memphis was one of the oldest and most important cities in ancient Egypt, located at the entrance to the Nile River Valley near the Giza plateau. It served as the capital of ancient Egypt and an important religious cult center.
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Definition
Timeline
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c. 3150 BCE - c. 30 BCELife of the City of Memphis, Egypt.
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c. 3150 BCEMemphis Egypt known as Hut-Ka-Ptah ("Mansion of the Soul of Ptah").
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c. 3150 BCE - c. 2613 BCEMemphis called Inbu-Hedj ("White Walls").
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c. 2613 BCE - c. 2181 BCEMemphis is capital of Old Kingdom in Egypt.
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c. 2332 BCE - c. 2283 BCEDuring reign of Pepi I Memphis becomes known as Men-nefer ("Enduring and Beautiful") which Greeks translate as Memphis.
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c. 2181 BCE - c. 2040 BCECapital of Egypt moves from Memphis to Herakleopolis during the First Intermediate Period.
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c. 2040 BCEThebes is capital of Egypt, Memphis continues as important religious and commercial site.
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c. 1991 BCEIti-tawi (Lisht) is capital of Egypt, monuments still raised at Memphis.
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1353 BCE - 1336 BCEAkhenaten builds temple to Aten at Memphis.
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1279 BCE - 1213 BCERamesses II honors Memphis with monuments and building projects.
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671 BCESecond Egyptian Campaign, Assyrian army successfully captures Memphis and conquers Egypt.
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671 BCEMemphis destroyed by Assyrian king Esarhaddon.
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c. 670 BCE - c. 668 BCEMemphis rebuilt.
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666 BCEMemphis destroyed by Assyrian king Ashurbanipal.
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c. 664 BCE - c. 525 BCEMemphis rebuilt during the time of the Saite Pharaohs.
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525 BCEPersian Invasion of Egypt. Memphis becomes capital of Satrapy.
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331 BCEAlexander the Great is crowned pharaoh of Egypt at Memphis.
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c. 323 BCEPtolemy I has Alexander the Great's body entombed at Memphis.
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c. 283 BCE - c. 246 BCEPtolemy II has Alexander the Great's body moved to Alexandria. Memphis declines in prestige.
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196 BCEMemphis Decree (Rosetta Stone) issued by Ptolemy V during whose reign city declines with rest of country.
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30 BCEEgypt taken by Rome; Memphis is neglected and begins final decline to ruin.
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c. 640 CEArab invasion of Egypt; Memphis ruins used as source of stone for building cities of Fustat and Cairo.
