Information About Memphis's Alabaster Sphinx

Name: Cairo Top Tours
Address: Egypt - Giza - Al-Ahram St.5th Hassan Said St. from Ahram St Giza P.O. Box 6, Egypt, EG
Telephone: +201022772955
Price range: 40$

Latest Articles

Best Things to Do in Nile River

The Nile’s tourism potential is excessive; from southern Egypt and all the way to the northern regions, The Nile River makes some of the most pleasant tourist places in Cairo on the Nile, for Egyptian dwellers and even the visitors, who traveled to Egypt for the pleasures of the country and people.
The Monastery of El Suryan | Deir Al-Surian Cairo Attractions

The Monastery of the Virgin Mary the Syrian is considered one of the oldest monasteries in the history of the church, dating back to approximately the fifth century AD, as various sources indicate. The old fortress is located to the right of the entrance to the monastery, although it has been restored.
Traditional Egyptian food

Each Arab country has its own character, and Egypt is one of the most famous countries for food. Egyptians are known for their love of food, so they excelled in making dishes and inventing new things. The most famous Egyptian dishes are falafel, koshari, stuffed vegetables of all kinds, and molokhia.
Dolphin House Marsa Allam

Wadi El Gemal Nature Reserve in Marsa Alam is taking several measures to preserve the lives of Red Sea dolphins, which are a national treasure and a source of attraction and tourist income for diving and snorkeling, and to generate financial income for the state by collecting visit fees.
Tanis: The Lost City of the Pharaohs

In the northeast of the Nile Delta in the Sharqia Governorate, about 150 km from Cairo, lies the city of “Tanis”, which is currently known as the city of “San El-Hagar”, that historical city or unknown capital that was founded on the banks of the Nile thousands of years ago, and was also known as “Ga’net” and “Sa’an”.
Tell Basta Museum in Al-Sharqiyah

An ancient site called Tell Basta is located outside of Zagazig in the Sharqia Governorate. It was one of the ancient Egyptian capitals and a significant place of worship. In the Old Kingdom, it served as the capital of the 18th province. During the 22nd Dynasty, it was the capital of every province. In the past, it was referred to as "Per-Bastet" in honour of "Bastet," the god of comfort, joy, and happiness. Later, "Tell Basta" was used instead.

Information About Memphis's Alabaster Sphinx

05 16, 2023

Memphis is the very first Egyptian city and one of the first cities in the world. Founded in 3200 BC, before the four ancient cities of Ur and Babylon and well before Rome and Jerusalem, yet unlike Rome and Jerusalem, Memphis did not survive into modern times. It lies 30 km south of Cairo.

Memphis was founded by the legendary Narmer, a native of Upper Egypt. Narmer conquered the Nile delta and was the first to unify the two kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt. Narmer was an administrator as well as a warrior, and realized that he would have a hard time governing the two kingdoms of Upper Egypt. So he founded this city at the junction of two countries. Its privileged position on the west bank of the Nile, between the cultivated area and the desert plateau, and just above the Nile delta, 30 km south of Cairo, was the key to its power. From there, it was easy to keep an eye on the comings and goings between Lower and Upper Egypt.

The name of this place was first Inb Hedj, in hieroglyphic, meaning the white wall, due to a limestone wall. The White Wall was erected by Pharaoh Pepi I, the 3rd pharaoh of the 6th pharaonic dynasty, around the 24th century BC. Memphis is the Greek pronunciation of the Egyptian expression Men Nefer, meaning stable beauty. Memphis is also known as Hat Ka Ptah, meaning temple of the spirit of Ptah, the oldest sanctuary dedicated to the god Ptah, of creative forces. Following linguistic modifications, this expression gave rise to the name of Egypt as we know it today.

Founded by Pharaoh Narmer (Menes in Greek) in the 4th millennium BC. It was Pharaoh Djeser, founder of the Old Pharaonic Empire, who gave Memphis all its lustre by having splendid necropolises built nearby, including his tomb, the famous step pyramid of Saqqarah. Memphis was a religious center, home in particular to the sanctuary of its mythical founder, the god Ptah, where the coronation ritual was performed as a token of the legitimacy of power.

It was also a major administrative center, and above all the residence of the pharaohs of the Old Kingdom, who built their tombs nearby. Memphis was home to an important river port, perhaps the first in ancient Egypt. Alluvial deposits and sandbanks did not permit the establishment of ports on the coast until the Greco-Roman period. Specialized in the manufacture of weapons, it was the country's arsenal.

Share On Social Media:

Egypt Tours FAQ

Read top Egypt tours FAQs

Memphis was the ancient capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom period. It is located near the modern-day city of Cairo but is primarily known for its archaeological sites, including the ruins of temples, statues, and other ancient structures. However, there is no specific sphinx made of alabaster associated with Memphis.

A long time ago, people in Egypt gave presents to a big statue called the Great Sphinx because they believed it would help them have a good harvest. But one person got very angry and broke the nose off the statue. He was punished for breaking something that was important to the people.

The Alabaster Sphinx of Memphis measures approximately 8 meters (26 feet) in length and stands about 4 meters (13 feet) tall. It is carved from a single block of alabaster stone and weighs an estimated 80 tons.

;