Question

Analyze Menes decision to make Memphis the capital of Egypt Why do you think he decided on that location instead of another great city, such as Thebes or Heliopolis?​

Answer 1

There were several cities that Menes could have chosen to be the first capital of a unified Egypt. Thebes had been the capital of Upper Egypt and its location was closer to the Nubian border, so it could have offered more protection against southern invasions. Heliopolis, which stood where Cairo does today, was located in the Nile Delta and was more accessible to the Mediterranean Sea. Perhaps the reason that Memphis was chosen was because it was located below the delta and was the border city that separated Upper and Lower Egypt. It was more centrally located on the Nile, where it would be easier for the pharaoh to maintain control of the empire.

Answer 2

There were several cities that Menes could have chosen to be the first capital of a unified Egypt. Thebes had been the capital of Upper Egypt and its location was closer to the Nubian border, so it could have offered more protection against southern invasions. Heliopolis, which stood where Cairo does today, was located in the Nile Delta and was more accessible to the Mediterranean Sea. Perhaps the reason that Memphis was chosen was because it was located below the delta and was the border city that separated Upper and Lower Egypt. It was more centrally located on the Nile, where it would be easier for the pharaoh to maintain control of the empire.

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