  memphis ( &nbsp; ; ) was the ancient capital of aneb-hetch, the first nome of lower egypt. its ruins are located near the town of mit rahina, 20 km (12 mi) south of cairo. according to legend related by manetho, the city was founded by the pharaoh menes. capital of egypt during the old kingdom, it remained an important city throughout ancient mediterranean history.bard, encyclopedia of the archaeology of ancient egypt, p. 694.meskell, lynn (2002). private life in new kingdom egypt. princeton university press, p.34shaw, ian (2003). the oxford history of ancient egypt. oxford university press, p.279 it occupied a strategic position at the mouth of the nile delta, and was home to feverish activity. its principal port, peru-nefer, harboured a high density of workshops, factories, and warehouses that distributed food and merchandise throughout the ancient kingdom. during its golden age, memphis thrived as a regional centre for commerce, trade, and religion. memphis was believed to be under 
Ancient_Greek_sites_in_Egypt Archaeological_sites_in_Egypt Catholic_titular_sees_in_Africa Cities_in_Ancient_Egypt Egyptian_mythology Egyptology Former_populated_places_in_Egypt History_museums_in_Egypt Memphis,_Egypt Open_air_museums_in_Egypt Populated_places_established_in_the_4th_millennium_BC Populated_places_in_Giza_Governorate World_Heritage_Sites_in_Egypt