The Egypt is defined primarily compared to the the Nile. The Low-Egypt is thus “low” by reference within the meaning of the flow of the river (of the south, higher, towards north, downstream) and thus at its altitude. Its relief is also not very marked.

It is the part more in north of the Egypt, since the the Mediterranean, with the Delta of the Nile, until the area of the Fayoum with Cairo.

Geography

Towns of Low-Egypt:

History

Low-Egypt at the beginning of the history of the country forms an independent kingdom which attracted the covetousness of its neighbor of the south, for the richness of its grounds and its outlets on the close Mediterranean and regions.

Prédynastiques times

At time predynastic the first civilization developed to with it that one qualifies “badarienne” name of the site where the first traces were discovered at the 19th century. The last excavations in the area revealed in particular with Bouto, locality of the delta, that the old culture which developed to with it was developed technologically than that of its rival of the south; one indeed discovered there notorious differences in the ceramic production which remains for all the periods the best means of dating the archaeological layers on the one hand but also a good method of comparison of the various protohistoric cultures. Ceramics because of its exceptional longevity thus makes it possible to reconstitute puzzles that aucunes historical traces cannot confirm differently and also attests various contacts that the predynastic culture of Low-Egypt maintained with its neighbors.

Ancient Empire

This culture in competition with that of Nagada of High-Egypt will be erased during the first dynasties following the reunification. Indeed the legend wants that the king Ménès succeeds in gathering under his reign the two kingdoms in only one but which will keep throughout its history the trace of this duality in particular in the qualifiers that it receives from now on Country of the Two Grounds or Double Kingdom. It then founded the town of Memphis which will be described as Balance of the Two Grounds, and will be the translation of this will of unification of the two kingdoms. The Pharaons will receive there the Double Crown made up of the crown of Low-Egypt in which that of High-Egypt fits to form a news of it, the Pschent.

The crown of Low-Egypt was preserved at Bouto under the protection of the goddess Ouadjet whom one then represents in the shape of a capped cobra of this red crown: the Desheret.

Low-Egypt becomes with the Ancient Empire the seat of the royal and religious capacity. Large cities develop to with it like Memphis, Héliopolis, Bubastis. Others are already legendary. One saw the example of Bouto but one can also quote Mendès, Busiris, Know which already at the time was important religious centers. The Pharaons of this period establish their capital and dynastic necropolis in the area and of Abou Rawash with Meïdoum of tens of funerary complexes develop on Western bank.

With the first intermediate period the area seems to remain under the cut of the capacity remained in place with Memphis, even if the number of sovereign during almost the two hundred years of transition somewhat betrays the image of a stable and prosperous kingdom. Indeed at that time the Nomarque S or governors of the Nome S took more and more independence with respect to the royal capacity, in particular in High-Egypt, area further away from the theater of the royal life. In Low-Egypt anarchy then seems to gain ground, the texts of this period leave us poignant testimonys of this turbid period during which the majority of the necropoles royal were put at bag.

Average Empire

It is starting from Thèbes that the reunification with the Moyen Empire is carried out and during a time which covers, Low-Egypt seems somewhat forsaken with the profit of the south of the country. With the following dynasty this tendency is reversed and the Amenemhat and Sésostris turn over to north and founds their capital not far from Low-Egypt, in the Fayoum which they then develop in a true oasis by deriving according to the legend part of water of the river towards the depression which occupied the center of it.

The cities of the Delta also receive an special attention of their share and great military forwardings open or reopen shopping streets which then connect Africa to the Close East. Low-Egypt is in the middle of these transit and transportation routes of the goods and invaluable goods coming from remote countries like the Pays of Pount or the Crete.

In against part, of the formerly wandering populations started to settle in the Delta, there made stock and little by little formed true agglomerations. Avaris became gradually the seat of a powerful principality which will not have any more but to await the collapse of the royal capacity to take its place and to extend its influence. The seat of Memphis will then sign this change which opens the second intermediate period and will be the starting point of the policy more conquering of the period which will follow.

New Empire

Indeed, it is again since Thèbes that a dynasty of local sovereigns undertakes the reconquest. Ahmosis will be the first Pharaon of and opens the most glorious period of the country. Memphis is taken again with the hands of the Hyksôs, then Avaris falls following seat and the new Pharaon will continue his enemies as far as Palestine again putting the seat in front of their ultimate bastion of resistance the fortress of Charouhen.

Its successors will continue this dynamics and will thus carry their efforts on the security of the country by building a chain of forts along the Eastern border of the Delta, which will take from now on the name of Road of Horus.

Thoutmôsis III installs a palate and a fortress in the old capital of Hyksôs and its example will be followed thereafter by Ramsès II which founds its capital pi-Ramsès there. The sovereigns of the New Empire little by little will develop the trade and the sanctuaries of Low-Egypt restoring what had been destroyed or given up.

Third Intermediate Period & Low Time

With the collapse of the empire of the Ramsès the country was divided again into two distinct entities, awaking old antagonisms which opposed the Low one and High-Egypt.

Tanis becomes the new capital then and the royal capacity will be definitively based in the Delta at the following periods except the period of and the Nubian Pharaons.

In spite of the efforts of the sovereigns of the Low time, the country could not resist the Assyrian invasions then Persian and during the “release” brought by Alexandre Large the, the choice was made establish the capital at the edge of the Mediterranean in order to open the country on the new world of then governs from now on by other influences, other stories.

Archeological sites:

Other areas of Egypt

Areas of Egypt, north towards the south, by going up the Nile:

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