Lower Egypt

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Lower Egypt ⲧⲥⲁϧⲏⲧ, ⲡⲥⲁⲙⲉⲛϩⲓⲧ مصر السفلى
c. 3500 BC–c. 3100 BC
Capital	Memphis
Common languages	Ancient Egyptian
Religion	Ancient Egyptian religion
Government	Monarchy
King
• Unknown	Unknown (first)
• c. 3150 BC	Unknown (last)
History
• Established	c. 3500 BC
• Disestablished	c. 3100 BC
Preceded by Succeeded by Prehistoric Egypt Early Dynastic Period (Egypt)
Today part of	Egypt

Memphis

Map of Lower Egypt showing important sites that were occupied during the Protodynastic Period of Egypt (clickable map)

Deshret, the Red Crown of Lower Egypt

Map of Lower Egypt with its historical nomes

Lower Egypt (Arabic: مصر السفلى Miṣr as-Suflā; Coptic: ⲧⲥⲁϧⲏⲧ Tsakhet) is the northernmost region of Egypt, which consists of the fertile Nile Delta between Upper Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea, from El Aiyat, south of modern-day Cairo, and Dahshur. Historically, the Nile River split into seven branches of the delta in Lower Egypt. Lower Egypt was divided into nomes and began to advance as a civilization after 3600 BC.^[1] Today, it contains two major channels that flow through the delta of the Nile River – Mahmoudiyah Canal (ancient Agathos Daimon) and Muways Canal (Arabic: بحر موَيس, "waterway of Moses").

Name[]

In Ancient Egyptian Lower Egypt was known as mḥw and means "north".^[2] Later on, during Antiquity and the Middle Ages, Greeks and Romans called it Κάτω Αἴγυπτος or Aegyptus Inferior both meaning "Lower Egypt". Native Coptic Egyptian population carried on using the old name related to north – Tsakhet (Coptic: ⲧⲥⲁϦⲏⲧ) or Psanemhit (Coptic: ⲡⲥⲁⲛⲉⲙϩⲓⲧ) "Northern part", which they also divided into three regions – western part called ⲛⲓⲫⲁⲓⲁⲧ Niphaiat ("Libyans"), central part called ⲡⲉⲧⲙⲟⲩⲣ Petmour ("the one which bounds, girds", Greek: Πτιμυρις^[3]) and eastern one called ϯⲁⲣⲁⲃⲓⲁ Tiarabia ("Arabia").^[4]

After the Arab conquest of Egypt the middle part of the Delta (former Petmour) was called al-Rif (Arabic: الريف) which means "countryside, rural area" and which is derived from Ancient Egyptian

r-pr, "temple", because the rural areas were administered by them.^[5] The eastern part roughly comprising the ancient Tiarabia was called al-Hawf (Arabic: الهوف) meaning "edge, fringe".^[6]

Geography[]

In ancient times, Pliny the Elder, in Natural History (Book 5, chapter 11), said that upon reaching the delta the Nile split into seven branches (from east to west): the Pelusiac, the Tanitic, the Mendesian, the Phatnitic, the Sebennytic, the Bolbitine, and the Canopic. Today there are two principal channels that the Nile takes through the river delta: one in the west at Rashid and one in the east at Damietta.

The delta region is well watered, crisscrossed by channels and canals.

Owing primarily to its proximity to the Mediterranean Sea, the climate in Lower Egypt is milder than that of Upper Egypt, the southern portion of the country. Temperatures are less extreme and rainfall is more abundant in Lower Egypt.

History[]

It was divided into twenty districts called nomes, the first of which was at el-Lisht. Because Lower Egypt was mostly undeveloped scrubland, filled with all types of plant life such as grasses and herbs, the organization of the nomes underwent several changes.

The capital of Lower Egypt was Memphis. Its patron goddess was the goddess Wadjet, depicted as a cobra. Lower Egypt was represented by the Red Crown Deshret, and its symbols were the papyrus and the bee. After unification the patron deities of both Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt were represented together as the Two Ladies, Wadjet and Nekhbet (depicted as a vulture), to protect all of the ancient Egyptians.

By approximately 3600 BC, Neolithic Egyptian societies along the Nile River had based their culture on the raising of crops and the domestication of animals.^[7] Shortly after 3600 BC Egyptian society began to grow and advance rapidly toward refined civilization.^[1] A new and distinctive pottery, which was related to the pottery in the Southern Levant, appeared during this time. Extensive use of copper became common during this time.^[1] The Mesopotamian process of sun-dried bricks, and architectural building principles—including the use of the arch and recessed walls for decorative effect—became popular during this time.^[1]

Concurrent with these cultural advances, a process of unification of the societies and towns of the upper Nile River, or Upper Egypt, occurred. At the same time, the societies of the Nile Delta, or Lower Egypt also underwent a unification process.^[1] Warfare between Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt occurred often.^[1] During his reign in Upper Egypt, King Narmer defeated his enemies in the Delta and merged the kingdoms of Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt under his single rule.^[8]

List of kings of the Predynastic Period of Lower Egypt[]

The Palermo stone, a royal annal written in the mid Fifth Dynasty (c. 2490 BC – c. 2350 BC) records a number of kings reigning over Lower Egypt before Narmer. These are completely unattested outside these inscriptions:

In contrast, the following kings are attested through archeological finds from Sinai and Lower Egypt: Double Falcon, Crocodile.

List of nomes[]

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See also[]

• Upper Egypt
• Middle Egypt
• Upper and Lower Egypt
• Nomes of Egypt
• Geography of Egypt
• Ancient Egypt

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lower Egypt.