Nome (Egypt)
Encyclopedia
A nome was a subnational administrative division of ancient Egypt
. Today's use of the Greek nome rather than the Egyptian
term sepat came about during the Ptolemaic
period. Fascinated with Egypt, Greeks created many historical records about the country. These were more accessible to later Western historians and influenced their adoption of Greek terms.
into nomes can be traced back to the Predynastic Period (before 3100 BC
). These nomes originally existed as autonomous city-states, but later began to unify. According to ancient tradition, the ruler Menes
completed the final unification.
Not only did the division into nomes remain in place for more than three millennia, the areas of the individual nomes and their ordering remained remarkably stable. Some, like Xois
in the Delta or Khent in Upper Egypt, were first mentioned on the Palermo stone
, which was inscribed in the Fifth Dynasty
. The names of a few, like the nome of Bubastis
, appeared no earlier than the New Kingdom
. Under the system that prevailed for most of pharaonic Egypt's history, the country was divided into 42 nomes.
Lower Egypt
, from the Old Kingdom capital Memphis
to the Mediterranean Sea
, comprised 20 nomes. The first was based around Memphis, Saqqara
, and Giza, in the area occupied by modern-day Cairo
. The nomes were numbered in a more or less orderly fashion south to north through the Nile
delta
, first covering the territory on the west before continuing with the higher numbers to the east. Thus, Alexandria was in the Third Nome; Bubastis was in the Eighteenth.
Upper Egypt
was divided into 22 nomes. The first of these was centered around Elephantine
close to Egypt's border with Nubia
at the First Cataract – the area of modern-day Aswan
. From there the numbering progressed downriver in an orderly fashion along the narrow fertile strip of land that was the Nile valley. Waset (ancient Thebes
or contemporary Luxor
) was in the Fourth Nome, Amarna
in the Fourteenth, and Meidum
in the Twenty-first.
to Arsinoe. Hadrian
created a new nome, Antinoopolites, for which Antinoopolis was the capital.
. The position of the nomarch was at times hereditary, while at others they were appointed by the pharaoh
. Generally, when the national government was stronger, nomarchs were the king's appointed governors. When the central government was weaker, however – such as during foreign invasions or civil wars – individual nomes would assert themselves and establish hereditary lines of succession. Conflicts between these different hereditary nomarchies were common during, for example, the First Intermediate Period
– a time that saw a breakdown in central authority lasting from the sixth and eleventh dynasties, until one of the local rulers was once again able to assert control over the entire country as pharaoh.
period, into Roman
times. Under Roman rule, individual nomes minted their own coinage, the so-called "nome coins," which still reflect individual local associations and traditions. The nomes of Egypt retained their primary importance as administrative units until the fundamental rearrangement of the bureaucracy during the reigns of Diocletian
and Constantine.
From AD 307/8, their place was taken by smaller units called pagi. Eventually powerful local officials arose who were called pagarchs, through whom all patronage flowed. The pagarch's essential role was as an organizer of tax-collection. Later the pagarch assumed some military functions as well. The pagarchs were often wealthy landowners who reigned over the pagi from which they originated.
and Lower
Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
. Today's use of the Greek nome rather than the Egyptian
Egyptian language
Egyptian is the oldest known indigenous language of Egypt and a branch of the Afroasiatic language family. Written records of the Egyptian language have been dated from about 3400 BC, making it one of the oldest recorded languages known. Egyptian was spoken until the late 17th century AD in the...
term sepat came about during the Ptolemaic
Ptolemaic Egypt
Ptolemaic Egypt began when Ptolemy I Soter invaded Egypt and declared himself Pharaoh of Egypt in 305 BC and ended with the death of queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt and the Roman conquest in 30 BC. The Ptolemaic Kingdom was a powerful Hellenistic state, extending from southern Syria in the east, to...
period. Fascinated with Egypt, Greeks created many historical records about the country. These were more accessible to later Western historians and influenced their adoption of Greek terms.
Ancient Egypt
The division of ancient EgyptAncient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
into nomes can be traced back to the Predynastic Period (before 3100 BC
32nd century BC
-Events:* c. 3150 BC: Narmer started to rule in Ancient Egypt.* c. 3125 BC: Narmer died.* 3102 BC: The Beginning of Kali Yuga according to Vedic Scriptures....
). These nomes originally existed as autonomous city-states, but later began to unify. According to ancient tradition, the ruler Menes
Menes
Menes was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh of the early dynastic period, credited by classical tradition with having united Upper and Lower Egypt, and as the founder of the first dynasty ....
completed the final unification.
Not only did the division into nomes remain in place for more than three millennia, the areas of the individual nomes and their ordering remained remarkably stable. Some, like Xois
Xois
Xois was a town of great antiquity and considerable size. Situated nearly in the center of the Nile Delta in Egypt, it is identified as the ancient Egyptian city of Khasut or Khaset or Sakha.-History:Xois sat upon an island formed by the Sebennytic and Phatnitic branches of the Nile...
in the Delta or Khent in Upper Egypt, were first mentioned on the Palermo stone
Palermo stone
The Palermo Stone is a large fragment of a stele known as the Royal Annals of the Old Kingdom of Ancient Egypt. It contains records of the kings of Egypt from the first dynasty through the fifth dynasty....
, which was inscribed in the Fifth Dynasty
Fifth dynasty of Egypt
The fifth dynasty of ancient Egypt is often combined with Dynasties III, IV and VI under the group title the Old Kingdom. Dynasty V dates approximately from 2494 to 2345 BC.-Rulers:...
. The names of a few, like the nome of Bubastis
Bubastis
Bubastis , also known as Tell Basta or Egyptian Per-Bast was an Ancient Egyptian city, the capital of its own nome, located along the River Nile in the Delta region of Lower Egypt...
, appeared no earlier than the New Kingdom
New Kingdom
The New Kingdom of Egypt, also referred to as the Egyptian Empire is the period in ancient Egyptian history between the 16th century BC and the 11th century BC, covering the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth Dynasties of Egypt....
. Under the system that prevailed for most of pharaonic Egypt's history, the country was divided into 42 nomes.
Lower Egypt
Upper and Lower Egypt
Ancient Egypt was divided into two regions, namely Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt. To the north was Lower Egypt where the Nile stretched out with its several branches to form the Nile Delta. To the south was Upper Egypt, stretching to Syene. The two kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt were united c....
, from the Old Kingdom capital Memphis
Memphis, Egypt
Memphis was the ancient capital of Aneb-Hetch, the first nome of Lower Egypt. Its ruins are located near the town of Helwan, south of Cairo.According to legend related by Manetho, the city was founded by the pharaoh Menes around 3000 BC. Capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom, it remained an...
to the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
, comprised 20 nomes. The first was based around Memphis, Saqqara
Saqqara
Saqqara is a vast, ancient burial ground in Egypt, serving as the necropolis for the Ancient Egyptian capital, Memphis. Saqqara features numerous pyramids, including the world famous Step pyramid of Djoser, sometimes referred to as the Step Tomb due to its rectangular base, as well as a number of...
, and Giza, in the area occupied by modern-day Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
. The nomes were numbered in a more or less orderly fashion south to north through the Nile
Nile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
delta
River delta
A delta is a landform that is formed at the mouth of a river where that river flows into an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, flat arid area, or another river. Deltas are formed from the deposition of the sediment carried by the river as the flow leaves the mouth of the river...
, first covering the territory on the west before continuing with the higher numbers to the east. Thus, Alexandria was in the Third Nome; Bubastis was in the Eighteenth.
Upper Egypt
Upper and Lower Egypt
Ancient Egypt was divided into two regions, namely Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt. To the north was Lower Egypt where the Nile stretched out with its several branches to form the Nile Delta. To the south was Upper Egypt, stretching to Syene. The two kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt were united c....
was divided into 22 nomes. The first of these was centered around Elephantine
Elephantine
Elephantine is an island in the River Nile, located just downstream of the First Cataract at the southern border of Ancient Egypt. This region is referred to as Upper Egypt because the land is higher than that near the Mediterranean coast. The island may have received its name because it was a...
close to Egypt's border with Nubia
Nubia
Nubia is a region along the Nile river, which is located in northern Sudan and southern Egypt.There were a number of small Nubian kingdoms throughout the Middle Ages, the last of which collapsed in 1504, when Nubia became divided between Egypt and the Sennar sultanate resulting in the Arabization...
at the First Cataract – the area of modern-day Aswan
Aswan
Aswan , formerly spelled Assuan, is a city in the south of Egypt, the capital of the Aswan Governorate.It stands on the east bank of the Nile at the first cataract and is a busy market and tourist centre...
. From there the numbering progressed downriver in an orderly fashion along the narrow fertile strip of land that was the Nile valley. Waset (ancient Thebes
Thebes, Egypt
Thebes is the Greek name for a city in Ancient Egypt located about 800 km south of the Mediterranean, on the east bank of the river Nile within the modern city of Luxor. The Theban Necropolis is situated nearby on the west bank of the Nile.-History:...
or contemporary Luxor
Luxor
Luxor is a city in Upper Egypt and the capital of Luxor Governorate. The population numbers 487,896 , with an area of approximately . As the site of the Ancient Egyptian city of Thebes, Luxor has frequently been characterized as the "world's greatest open air museum", as the ruins of the temple...
) was in the Fourth Nome, Amarna
Amarna
Amarna is an extensive Egyptian archaeological site that represents the remains of the capital city newly–established and built by the Pharaoh Akhenaten of the late Eighteenth Dynasty , and abandoned shortly afterwards...
in the Fourteenth, and Meidum
Meidum
Located about 100 km south of modern Cairo, Meidum or Maidum is the location of a large pyramid, and several large mud-brick mastabas.-Pyramid:...
in the Twenty-first.
Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt
Some nomes were added or renamed during the Graeco-Roman occupation of Egypt. For example, the Ptolemies renamed the Crocodilopolitan nomeCrocodilopolis
Crocodilopolis or Krokodilopolis or Ptolemais Euergetis or Arsinoe or Krialon was an ancient city in the Heptanomis, Egypt, the capital of Arsinoites nome, on the western bank of the Nile, between the river and the Lake Moeris, southwest of Memphis, in lat. 29° N...
to Arsinoe. Hadrian
Hadrian
Hadrian , was Roman Emperor from 117 to 138. He is best known for building Hadrian's Wall, which marked the northern limit of Roman Britain. In Rome, he re-built the Pantheon and constructed the Temple of Venus and Roma. In addition to being emperor, Hadrian was a humanist and was philhellene in...
created a new nome, Antinoopolites, for which Antinoopolis was the capital.
The nomarch
At the head of each nome stood a nomarchNomarch
Nomarchs were the semi-feudal rulers of Ancient Egyptian provinces. Serving as provincial governors, they each held authority over one of the 42 nomes into which the country was divided. Both nome and nomarch are terms derived from the Greek nomos, meaning a province or district...
. The position of the nomarch was at times hereditary, while at others they were appointed by the pharaoh
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
. Generally, when the national government was stronger, nomarchs were the king's appointed governors. When the central government was weaker, however – such as during foreign invasions or civil wars – individual nomes would assert themselves and establish hereditary lines of succession. Conflicts between these different hereditary nomarchies were common during, for example, the First Intermediate Period
First Intermediate Period of Egypt
The First Intermediate Period, often described as a “dark period” in ancient Egyptian history, spanned approximately one hundred years after the end of the Old Kingdom from ca. 2181-2055 BC. It included the seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, and part of the eleventh dynasties. Very little monumental...
– a time that saw a breakdown in central authority lasting from the sixth and eleventh dynasties, until one of the local rulers was once again able to assert control over the entire country as pharaoh.
Survival of the nomes
The nomes survived through the PtolemaicPtolemaic dynasty
The Ptolemaic dynasty, was a Macedonian Greek royal family which ruled the Ptolemaic Empire in Egypt during the Hellenistic period. Their rule lasted for 275 years, from 305 BC to 30 BC...
period, into Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
times. Under Roman rule, individual nomes minted their own coinage, the so-called "nome coins," which still reflect individual local associations and traditions. The nomes of Egypt retained their primary importance as administrative units until the fundamental rearrangement of the bureaucracy during the reigns of Diocletian
Diocletian
Diocletian |latinized]] upon his accession to Diocletian . c. 22 December 244 – 3 December 311), was a Roman Emperor from 284 to 305....
and Constantine.
From AD 307/8, their place was taken by smaller units called pagi. Eventually powerful local officials arose who were called pagarchs, through whom all patronage flowed. The pagarch's essential role was as an organizer of tax-collection. Later the pagarch assumed some military functions as well. The pagarchs were often wealthy landowners who reigned over the pagi from which they originated.
List of nomes
The nomes are listed in separate tables for UpperUpper Egypt
Upper Egypt is the strip of land, on both sides of the Nile valley, that extends from the cataract boundaries of modern-day Aswan north to the area between El-Ayait and Zawyet Dahshur . The northern section of Upper Egypt, between El-Ayait and Sohag is sometimes known as Middle Egypt...
and Lower
Lower Egypt
Lower Egypt is the northern-most section of Egypt. It refers to the fertile Nile Delta region, which stretches from the area between El-Aiyat and Zawyet Dahshur, south of modern-day Cairo, and the Mediterranean Sea....
Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
Lower Egypt
Number | Egyptian Name | Capital | Modern Capital | Translation |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Aneb-Hetch Aneb-Hetch Aneb-Hetch was one of 42 nomoi in Ancient Egypt. -Geography:Aneb-Hetch was one of the 20 nomoi in Lower Egypt and had district number 1.... |
Ineb Hedj / Men-nefer / Menfe (Memphis Memphis, Egypt Memphis was the ancient capital of Aneb-Hetch, the first nome of Lower Egypt. Its ruins are located near the town of Helwan, south of Cairo.According to legend related by Manetho, the city was founded by the pharaoh Menes around 3000 BC. Capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom, it remained an... ) |
Mit Rahina | White Walls |
2 | Khensu | Khem (Letopolis) | Ausim | Cow's thigh |
3 | Ahment | Imu (Apis) | Kom el-Hisn Yamu Kom el-Hisn , is located near the western edge of the Nile delta roughly midway between Cairo and Alexandria and about 10 km west of the Rosetta branch of the Nile... |
West |
4 | Sapi-Res | Ptkheka | Tanta Tanta Tanta is a city in Egypt. It is the country's fifth largest populated area, with an estimated 429,000 inhabitants . Tanta is located north of Cairo and southeast of Alexandria... |
Southern shield |
5 | Sap-Meh | Zau (Sais Sais, Egypt Sais or Sa el-Hagar was an ancient Egyptian town in the Western Nile Delta on the Canopic branch of the Nile. It was the provincial capital of Sap-Meh, the fifth nome of Lower Egypt and became the seat of power during the Twenty-fourth dynasty of Egypt and the Saite Twenty-sixth dynasty of Egypt ... ) |
Sa el-Hagar | Northern shield |
6 | Khaset Khaset (nome) Khaset was one of 42 nomoi in Ancient Egypt. -Geography:Khaset was one of the 20 nomoi in Lower Egypt and had district number 6.... |
Khasu (Xois Xois Xois was a town of great antiquity and considerable size. Situated nearly in the center of the Nile Delta in Egypt, it is identified as the ancient Egyptian city of Khasut or Khaset or Sakha.-History:Xois sat upon an island formed by the Sebennytic and Phatnitic branches of the Nile... ) |
Sakha | Mountain bull |
7 | A-ment | (Hermopolis Parva, Metelis) | Damanhur Damanhur Damanhur is a city in Lower Egypt, and the capital of the Beheira Governorate. It is located northwest of Cairo, and E.S.E. of Alexandria, in the middle of the western Nile Delta.... |
West harpoon |
8 | A-bt | Tjeku / Per-Atum (Heroonpolis, Pithom Pithom Pithom also called Per-Atum or Heroöpolis or Heroonopolis Pithom also called Per-Atum or Heroöpolis or Heroonopolis Pithom also called Per-Atum or Heroöpolis or Heroonopolis (Greek: or , Strabo xvi. 759, 768, xvii. 803, 804; Arrian, Exp. Alex. iii. 5, vii. 20; Joseph. Ant. Jud. ii. 7. § 5;... ) |
Tell al-Maskhuta | East harpoon |
9 | Ati | Djed (Busiris Busiris Busiris or Bousiris may mean several different things, including:-Places:*Busiris , a large ancient city of Egypt, capital of its nome*Busiris , an ancient city of Egypt, near the Egyptian Pyramids... ) |
Abu Sir Bara | Andjeti |
10 | Ka-khem | Hut-hery-ib (Athribis Athribis Athribis or Athlibis Athribis or Athlibis Athribis or Athlibis (Greek: or was the Greek name for two cities of ancient Egypt: this article concerns the chief town of the Athribite, the Tenth nome, in Lower Egypt... ) |
Banha Banha Banha , also spelled Benha, is the capital of the Qalyubia Governorate in north-eastern Egypt. Egyptians call it Banha Elasal, which means "Sweet like honey"; the nomenclature originally comes from when the Prophet Muhammed sent his massage to Elmoqwqs to convert to Islam, he replied by sending him... (Tell Atrib) |
Black bull |
11 | Ka-heseb | Taremu (Leontopolis Leontopolis Leontopolis or Leonto or Latin: Leontos Oppidum or Egyptian: Taremu, was an Ancient Egyptian city that is known as Tell al Muqdam today.-History:The city is located in the central part of the Nile Delta region... ) |
Tell al-Urydam | Heseb bull |
12 | Theb-ka | Tjebnutjer (Sebennytos Sebennytos Sebennytos or Sebennytus or Egyptian: Tjebnutjer Arabic: سمنود Samannud was an ancient city of Lower Egypt, located on the Damietta branch of the Nile in the delta... ) |
Samanud | Calf and Cow |
13 | Heq-At | Iunu (Heliopolis Heliopolis (ancient) Heliopolis was one of the oldest cities of ancient Egypt, the capital of the 13th Lower Egyptian nome that was located five miles east of the Nile to the north of the apex of the Nile Delta... ) |
Materiya (suburb of Cairo) | Prospering Sceptre |
14 | Khent-abt | Tjaru Zarw Tjaru was an ancient Egyptian fortress on the Way of Horus, the major road leading out of Egypt into Canaan. It also appeared, though much less commonly, under the names Zaru, Tharu, Djaru and Tjel, and was known to the Greeks as Zele or Sile... (Sile, Tanis Tanis Tanis was the capital of the 21st and 22nd dynasties of ancient Egypt, and is now an archaeological temple site. The word Tanis can also refer to:*Tanis, a little girl mummy in Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School... ) |
Tell Abu Sefa | Eastmost |
15 | Tehut | Ba'h / Weprehwy (Hermopolis Parva Hermopolis (Lower Egypt) Hermopolis also known as Hermopolis Mikra and Hermopolis Parva was an ancient city of Egypt. It was capital of Tehut, the 15th nome of Lower Egypt, situated a little below Thmuis . The site is currently at Tell al-Naqus near Baqliya.... ) |
Baqliya | Ibis Ibis The ibises are a group of long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae.... |
16 | Kha | Djedet (Mendes Mendes Mendes , the Greek name of the Ancient Egyptian city of Djedet, also known in Ancient Egypt as Per-Banebdjedet and Anpet, is known today as Tell El-Ruba .... ) |
Tell al-Rubˁ | Fish |
17 | Semabehdet | Semabehdet (Diospolis Inferior) | Tell el-Balamun | The throne |
18 | Am-Khent | Per-Bastet (Bubastis Bubastis Bubastis , also known as Tell Basta or Egyptian Per-Bast was an Ancient Egyptian city, the capital of its own nome, located along the River Nile in the Delta region of Lower Egypt... ) |
Tell Bastah (near Zagazig Zagazig Zagazig is a town in Lower Egypt. Situated in the eastern part of the Nile delta, it is the capital of the governorate of Sharqia.As of 1999, its population was approximately 279,000. It is built on a branch of the Fresh Water or Ismaïlia Canal and on al-Muˤizz Canal , and is 47 miles by rail... ) |
Prince of the South |
19 | Am-Pehu | Dja'net (Leontopolis Tanis) | Nebesha or San el-Hagar | Prince of the North |
20 | Sopdu | Per-Sopdu | Saft al-Henna | Plumed Falcon |
Upper Egypt
Number | Egyptian Name | Capital | Modern Capital | Translation |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ta-Seti Ta-Seti Ta-Seti was one of 42 nomoi in Ancient Egypt. Ta-Seti also marked the border area towards Nubia.-Geography:Ta-Seti was the earliest Nubian Kingdom, dated 3,700 BCE... |
Abu / Yebu (Elephantine Elephantine Elephantine is an island in the River Nile, located just downstream of the First Cataract at the southern border of Ancient Egypt. This region is referred to as Upper Egypt because the land is higher than that near the Mediterranean coast. The island may have received its name because it was a... ) |
Aswan Aswan Aswan , formerly spelled Assuan, is a city in the south of Egypt, the capital of the Aswan Governorate.It stands on the east bank of the Nile at the first cataract and is a busy market and tourist centre... |
Land of the bow |
2 | Wetjes-Hor Wetjes-Hor Wetjes-Hor was the second Nome of Upper Egypt. Its major population center, modern Edfu was called Behdet and Djeba in ancient times. Its Middle Kingdom cemetery is a source of much information about the burial practices of commoners in Middle Kingdom Egypt. The Old Kingdom governor, Izi, whose... |
Djeba (Apollonopolis Magna) | Edfu Edfu Edfu is an Egyptian city, located on the west bank of the Nile River between Esna and Aswan, with a population of approximately sixty thousand people. For the ancient history of the city, see below... |
Throne of Horus Horus Horus is one of the oldest and most significant deities in the Ancient Egyptian religion, who was worshipped from at least the late Predynastic period through to Greco-Roman times. Different forms of Horus are recorded in history and these are treated as distinct gods by Egyptologists... |
3 | Ten | Nekhen Nekhen Nekhen was the religious and political capital of Upper Egypt at the end of the Predynastic period... (Hierakonpolis) |
al-Kab | Shrine |
4 | Waset | Niwt-rst / Waset (Thebes Thebes, Egypt Thebes is the Greek name for a city in Ancient Egypt located about 800 km south of the Mediterranean, on the east bank of the river Nile within the modern city of Luxor. The Theban Necropolis is situated nearby on the west bank of the Nile.-History:... ) |
Karnak Karnak The Karnak Temple Complex—usually called Karnak—comprises a vast mix of decayed temples, chapels, pylons, and other buildings, notably the Great Temple of Amun and a massive structure begun by Pharaoh Ramses II . Sacred Lake is part of the site as well. It is located near Luxor, some... |
Sceptre |
5 | Herui | Gebtu (Coptos) | Qift Qift Qift is a small town in the Qena Governorate of Egypt about 43 km north of Luxor, on the east bank of the Nile.-History:In ancient Egypt, Qift, known then as Gebtu, was an important center for administration, religion, and commerce, being the chief city of the fifth Upper Egyptian Nome of Harawî... |
The two falcons |
6 | Aa-ta | Lunet / Tantere (Tentyra) | Dendera Dendera Dendera is a small town in Egypt situated on the west bank of the Nile, about 5 km south of Qena, on the opposite side of the river.-History:... |
The crocodile |
7 | Seshesh | Seshesh (Diospolis Parva) | Hu Hu, Egypt Hu is the modern name of an Egyptian town on the Nile, which in more ancient times was the capital of the 7th Nome of Upper Egypt. The nome was referred to as Sesheshet . The main city was referred to as Hu-sekhem, which was abbreviated as Hu. Which led to the Arabic name Hiw. In Ptolemaic times... |
Sistrum Sistrum A sistrum is a musical instrument of the percussion family, chiefly associated with ancient Iraq and Egypt. It consists of a handle and a U-shaped metal frame, made of brass or bronze and between 76 and 30 cm in width... |
8 | Abdju | Abdju (Abydos Abydos, Egypt Abydos is one of the most ancient cities of Upper Egypt, and also of the eight Upper Nome, of which it was the capital city. It is located about 11 kilometres west of the Nile at latitude 26° 10' N, near the modern Egyptian towns of el-'Araba el Madfuna and al-Balyana... ) |
al-Birba | Great land |
9 | Min | Apu / Khen-min (Panopolis) | Akhmim Akhmim Akhmim is a city in the Sohag Governorate of Upper Egypt. Referred to by the ancient Greeks as Khemmis, Chemmis and Panopolis, it is located on the east bank of the Nile, 4 miles to the northeast of Sohag.- History :Akhmim was known in Ancient Egypt as Ipu, Apu or Khent-min... |
Min Min (god) Min is an Ancient Egyptian god whose cult originated in predynastic times . He was represented in many different forms, but was often represented in male human form, shown with an erect penis which he holds in his left hand and an upheld right arm holding a flail... |
10 | Wadkhet | Djew-qa (Aphroditopolis) | Ifteh | Cobra |
11 | Set | Shashotep (Hypselis) | Shutb | The creature associated with Set |
12 | Tu-ph | Hut-Sekhem-Senusret (Antaeopolis) | Qaw al-Kebir | Viper mountain |
13 | Atef-Khent | Zawty Asyut Asyut is the capital of the modern Asyut Governorate in Egypt; the ancient city of the same name is situated nearby. The modern city is located at , while the ancient city is at .- Etymology :... (z3wj-tj, Lycopolis) |
Asyut Asyut Asyut is the capital of the modern Asyut Governorate in Egypt; the ancient city of the same name is situated nearby. The modern city is located at , while the ancient city is at .- Etymology :... |
Upper Sycamore and Viper |
14 | Atef-Pehu | Qesy (Cusae Cusae Cusae or Kusai is the Greek name of a city in Upper Egypt, known to the Egyptians as Qis or Kis. Today, the city is known as el-Qusiya and is located on the west bank of the Nile, in the Asyut Governorate.... ) |
al-Qusiya | Lower Sycamore and Viper |
15 | Un | Khemenu (Hermopolis Magna) | al-Ashmunayn | Hare Hare (hieroglyph) The ancient Egyptian Hare hieroglyph, Gardiner sign listed no. E34 is a portrayal of the desert hare of Egypt, within the Gardiner signs for mammals. The ancients used the name of sekhat for the hare.... |
16 | Meh-Mahetch | Hebenu Hebenu Hebenu is an Ancient Egyptian city. It was the early capital of the 16th Upper Egyptian Nome. The modern village of Kom el Ahmar is built on the site where the ancient city stood.... |
Kom el Ahmar | Oryx Oryx Oryx is one of four large antelope species of the genus Oryx. Three of the species are native to arid parts of Africa, with a fourth native to the Arabian Peninsula. Their pelage is pale with contrasing dark markings in the face and on the legs, and their long horns are almost straight... |
17 | Anpu | Saka (Cynopolis) | al-Kais | Anubis Anubis Anubis is the Greek name for a jackal-headed god associated with mummification and the afterlife in ancient Egyptian religion. In the ancient Egyptian language, Anubis is known as Inpu . According to the Akkadian transcription in the Amarna letters, Anubis' name was vocalized as Anapa... |
18 | Sep | Teudjoi / Hutnesut (Alabastronopolis) | el-Hiba | Set Set (mythology) Set was in Ancient Egyptian religion, a god of the desert, storms, and foreigners. In later myths he was also the god of darkness, and chaos... |
19 | Uab | Per-Medjed (Oxyrhynchus Oxyrhynchus Oxyrhynchus is a city in Upper Egypt, located about 160 km south-southwest of Cairo, in the governorate of Al Minya. It is also an archaeological site, considered one of the most important ever discovered... ) |
el-Bahnasa | Two Sceptres |
20 | Atef-Khent | Henen-nesut (Herakleopolis Magna Herakleopolis Magna Heracleopolis or Herakleopolis Magna is the Greek name of the capital of the Twentieth nome of ancient Egypt. It was called Henen-nesut, Nen-nesu, or Hwt-nen-nesu in ancient Egyptian, meaning 'house of the royal child.' Later, it was called Hnas in Coptic, and Ahnas in medieval Arabic writings... ) |
Ihnasiyyah al-Madinah | Southern Sycamore |
21 | Atef-Pehu | Shenakhen / Semenuhor (Crocodilopolis Crocodilopolis Crocodilopolis or Krokodilopolis or Ptolemais Euergetis or Arsinoe or Krialon was an ancient city in the Heptanomis, Egypt, the capital of Arsinoites nome, on the western bank of the Nile, between the river and the Lake Moeris, southwest of Memphis, in lat. 29° N... , Arsinoe) |
Madinat al-Fayyum Al Fayyum Faiyum is a city in Middle Egypt. Located 130 km southwest of Cairo, it is the capital of the modern Faiyum Governorate. The town occupies part of the ancient site of Crocodilopolis... |
Northern Sycamore |
22 | Maten | Tepihu (Aphroditopolis) | Atfih Atfih Atfih is a city in Middle Egypt. It was part of the now defunct Helwan Governorate from April 2008 to April 2011, after which it was reincorporated into the Cairo Governorate. As of 2001, it has a population of 106,300 inhabitants.-Etymology:... |
Knife |