Before written history, the northernmost 1.200 km (750 miles) of the Nile Valley was devided into more than fourty small areas ruled by local tribes which all had their own gods, chiefs and capitals. Their traditions and customs varied a lot but there was one thing they had in common - the language.
A stadard was the identifiaction mark and later they became provinces in the united country and through over 3.000 years of Egyptian history they kept their identity intact. The tribe chiefs were with time replaced by governors working for the central power and when they were not the country was weakened. Today the capitals are known by both domestic and Greek names.
The large Faiyum basin was not included in the original setup and has been marked below as province "0" of Upper Egypt. |
The nomes of
Lower Egypt
|
|
1 The White Fortress  Capital: Mennefer
Greek: Memphis, today: Mit Rahina Local god: Ptah |
2 The thigh of a cow  Capital: Khem
Greek: Letopolis, today: Ausim. Local god: Horus the Elder |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
3 The West  Capital: Imu
Greek: Naukratis?, today: Kom el Hisn. Local goddess: Hathor |
4 The Southern Shield  Capital: Djeka
Greek: --, today: --. Local god: Horus the Elder |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
5 The Northern Shield  Capital: Sais
Greek: Sais, today: Sa el Hagar. Local gods: Uadjet, Neit |
6 The Horizon Bull  Capital: Khasuut
Greek: Xois, today: Sakha. Local god: Amon-Re |
|
7 West harpoon  Capital: ---
Greek: Hermopolis , today: Demanhur Local god: Atum |
8 East harpoon  Capital: Tjeku (Per-Tem)
Greek: Pithom, today: el Maskhuta Local god: Nefertem |
|
9 Anedjti  Capital: Per Usiri
Greek: Busiris, today: Sa el Hagar. Local gods: Ram Andjty, Osiris |
10 The Black Bull  Capital: Hut-heryib
Greek: Athribis, today: -- Local gods: Black Bull Kemour, (Horus-)Khentykhety crocodile |
|
11 The Heseb Bull  Capital: Taremu
Greek: Leontopolis, today: Tell el Muqdam. Local gods: Shu, Maahes, Isis, Sebek |
12 The Cow and the Calf  Capital: Tjebnutjer
Greek: Sebennytos, today: Samanud Local gods: calf Samanod, Anhur |
|
13 The Undamaged Scepter ?  Capital: Iunu
Greek: Heliopolis, today: Heliopolis. Local gods: Re, Mnevis bull |
14 The Older East Nome  Capital: Senu
Greek: Sile, Latin: Tjaru, today: Qantara? Local god: Horus |
|
15 The Ibis Stork  Capital: Bákh
Greek: Hermopolis, today: Al Baqlia. Local god: Thoth |
16 The Jumping Fish  Capital: - Per-banebdjedet
Greek: Mendes, today: Tmai el Amdid. Local god: Osiris |
|
17 The Throne  Capital: Pahkenen-Amon
Greek: Diospolis, today: --. Local god: Amon-Re |
18 The Upper Royal Child  Capital: Per-bastet
Greek: Bubastis, today: Tall Bastah. Local god: Bast |
|
19 The Lower Royal Child  Capital: Imet, Hawaret,
Greek: Tanis, today: Tel el Dab'a. Local god: Khensit cobra Uadjet |
20 The East  Capital: Quesem, Per-Sopdu
Greek: Soped, today: Saft al Hinna. Local gods: Sopdet, Sopdu |
The nomes of
Upper Egypt
| Numbers and capitals: 0 Shedet, Krokodilpolis.
1 Elefantine, Aswan, 2 Edfu, 3 Nekheb, Latopolis, 4 Thebes, 5 Koptos, 6 Dendera, 7 Hiw, 8 Thinis, Abydos, 9 Ipu Akhmin, 10 Dkew-qa, 11 Shas-hotep, 13 Sauty, 14 Qis, 15 Khmunu, 16 Hebenu Kom el-Ahmar, 17 Hardai, 18 Teudjaj, 19 Per-medjed, 20 Henen-nesut, Herakleopolis, 21 Smed-Hor, 22 Athfi, Aphroditopolis. |
 | ||
 |
 |
 | |
|
0 The Faiyum Capital: Shedet
Greek: Krokodilpolis, today: Medinet el Faiyum Local god: Sobek |
|
1 The Land of the Arch  Capital: Abu
Greek: Elefantine, today: Aswan Local god: Khnum |
2 The Throne of Horus  Capital: Utes-Hor
Greek: Apollinopolis, today: Edfu. Local god: Horus |
|
3 The Rural  Capital: Nekheb
Greek: Eileithyiaspolis, today: Elkab. Local god: Nekhbet |
4 The Sceptre  Capital: Waset
Greek: Thebe, today: Luxor. Local gods: Amon, Mentu, Tauret, Khons |
|
5 The Two Falcons  Capital: Kebti
Greek: Koptos, today: Quft. Local god: Min |
6 The Crocodile  Capital: Iunet
Greek: Tentyris, today: Dendera. Local god: Hathor |
|
7 The Sistrum  Capital: Hut-Sekhem
Greek: Diospolis Parva, today: Hiw. Local god: Hathor |
8 The Great Land  Capital: Abedju
Greek: Osiris, today: Abydos. Local god: Anhur |
|
9 Minu  Capital: Ipu
Greek: Khemmis Panopolis, today: Akhmim. Local god: Min |
10 The Cobra  Capital: Djew-qa
Greek: Antaeopolis, today: Qaw el-Kebir. Local god: Hathor |
|
11 The Set Animal  Capital: Shas-hotep
Greek: Hypselis, today: Shuth. Local god: Khnum |
12 The Viper Mountain  Capital: Per Nemty
Greek: Hierakon, today: el Atawia. Local god: Nemty |
|
13 Upper Pomegranate Tree  Capital: Sauty
Greek: Lykopolis, today: Asyut. Local god: Upuaut |
14 The Older East Nome  Capital: Qis
Gr/Ro: Cusae, today: el-Qusiya. Local god: Hathor |
|
15 The Hare  Capital: Khemenu
Greek: Hermopolis, today: Al Ashmunein. Local god: Thoth |
16 The Oryx  Capital: Hebenu
Greek: --, today: Kom el-Ahmar. Local gods: Horus, Osiris |
|
17 The Black Jackal  Capital: Kasa
Greek: Kynopolis, today: al-Kesh Local god: Anubis |
18 The Lifting Falcon  Capital: Teudjai
Greek: Ankyrononpolis, today: el-Hiba. Local god: Sekhmet |
|
19 The Pure Sceptres  Capital: Per-medjed
Greek: Oxyrhynchus, today: el-Bahnasa. Local god: Set |
20 The Upper Laurel  Capital: Henen-nesut
Greek: Herakleopolis, today: Ahnas. Local god: Herishef |
|
21 The Lower Laurel  Capital: Smed-Hor
Greek: --, today: Kafr Ammar Local god: Khnum |
22 The Knife  Capital: Dep-Ehet
Greek: Aphroditopolis, today: Atfih. Local god: Hathor |