Memphis (Mit Rahina)

Memphis was the first capital of a united Egypt, traditionally founded around 3100 BC by the king known as Menes. For much of the next three thousand years it was one of the great cities of the ancient world, a royal and administrative centre and the home of the creator god Ptah, whose huge temple stood here. The pyramid fields of Saqqara, Dahshur and Giza were its cemeteries. Little of the city survives above ground today: its stone was reused for centuries, and the ruins now lie beneath the palm groves and fields of the village of Mit Rahina. The area is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Memphis and its Necropolis.

What to see

The visitor site is an open-air museum built around the finest finds from the area.

• Colossus of Ramesses II: a fallen limestone statue of the king, lying on its back inside a purpose-built hall. You can view it from a gallery above and get close to the carved details of the face, jewellery and royal names.
• Alabaster sphinx: a large calcite sphinx standing in the garden, one of the biggest sculptures of its kind ever found.
• Statues and architectural pieces: columns, stelae, sarcophagi and statues from Ptah’s temple and other buildings of the city.
• Embalming beds of the Apis bulls: large stone tables where the sacred bulls were prepared before burial at the Serapeum in Saqqara.

Visiting tips

• The site is small. Allow 45 minutes to an hour.
• Visit it on the same trip as Saqqara and Dahshur. All three are close together and are usually combined in a day out from Cairo or Giza.
• Use the gallery around the colossus for the best overview, then go down for details.
• There are souvenir stalls by the entrance. Take your time and agree prices before buying anything.
• Pay by card at the ticket office.

Getting there

Mit Rahina is in Badrashin district, Giza governorate, on the west side of the Nile about 30 km south of central Cairo and a few kilometres east of Saqqara. Public transport is impractical for most visitors. The easiest options are a car and driver hired for the day, a taxi or ride-hailing car (arrange your return in advance), or an organised tour from Cairo or Giza. A parking fee is charged for vehicles.

Last checked October 2026. Sources: mota.gov.eg, madainproject.com.