Where Were The Earliest Ancient Egyptian Kings Based?
The first Egyptian Kings formed what is known as the Old Kingdom. This operated between 3100 and 2180 BC. The earliest Kings settled in Memphis, the first capital of Egypt. Memphis was in a very good position in the country; it is located where Upper Egypt meets lower Egypt, at the apex of the Nile delta, close to where the city of Cairo is today. The early Kings chose to be buried close to their southern origins and built their tombs at Abydos. Later, the Kings who regarded Memphis as their home built tombs at nearby Saqqara. This place is the site of Egypt’s earliest pyramid, built in 2650 BC. Many stone bench shaped tombs have also been found at Saqqara. These were made for the burials of members of the royal court and they are very richly decorated. The base of power continued to be Memphis until centuries of pyramid building, poor harvests and weak pharaohs severely depleted the economy. As royal power declined, people relocated out to other parts of Egypt and the country became f
