Which city, traditionally said to have been founded by Menes (Narmer) where the Nile Valley meets the Delta, was the capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Memphis
- Step 1: Tradition credits the first king of unified Egypt, Menes, with founding a capital at the junction of Upper and Lower Egypt around 3100 BCE. Step 2. That city, Memphis (Ineb-Hedj, 'White Walls'), was the capital of the Old Kingdom and remained a major city for centuries. Answer: Memphis. Why not the others: Thebes (Waset) rose to prominence later, as a capital in the Middle and New Kingdoms; Alexandria was founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BCE, long after the Old Kingdom; Amarna (Akhetaten) was built by Akhenaten and used only for about two decades in the New Kingdom.
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