
Map of Lower and Upper Egypt
'Lower Egypt' is the northern-most section of Egypt. It refers to the fertile
Nile Delta region, which stretches from the area between
El-Aiyat and
Zawyet Dahshur, south of modern-day
Cairo, and the
Mediterranean Sea.
Today there are two principal channels that the Nile takes through the
river's delta: one in the west at
Rashid and one in the east at
Damietta. In ancient times,
Pliny the Elder (N.H. 5.11) said that upon reaching the delta the Nile split into seven branches (from east to west): the
Pelusiac, the
Tanitic, the
Mendesian, the
Phatnitic, the
Sebennytic, the
Bolbitine, and the
Canopic. Today the delta region is well watered, crisscrossed by channels and canals.
Lower Egypt was known as ''Ta-Mehu'' which means "land of papyrus." It was divided into twenty districts called
nomes, the first of which was at
el-Lisht. Because Lower Egypt was mostly undeveloped scrubland, undeveloped for human life and filled with all types of plant life such as grasses and herbs, the organization of the nomes underwent several changes.
The climate in Lower Egypt is milder than that of
Upper Egypt. Temperatures are less extreme and rainfall is more abundant.
The capital of Lower Egypt was
Buto. Its patron goddess was the cobra goddess
Wadjet. Lower Egypt was represented by the Low Red Crown ''
Deshret'', and its symbol was the papyrus.
See also
★
Upper Egypt
★
Middle Egypt
★
Upper and Lower Egypt
★
Nomes of Egypt
★
Geography of Egypt
★
Ancient Egypt