Memphis was the main city of the country in most periods of ancient Egyptian history. From here it was easy to sail up the Nile to southern Egypt and to reach all parts of the Delta via the different branches of the river. It is no surprise that modern Cairo is not far from Memphis. The region is simply the best from which to rule the country. In the New Kingdom, Thebes became an important city, but from the earliest times there were also royal palaces at Memphis; one wonders whether Thebes was always more a symbolic capital, while the real power centre was in Memphis. Most state officials and the king were buried at Thebes, but even this changed over time, and under the Eighteenth Dynasty king Amenhotep III (c.1390-1352 BC), many prominent officials had their tombs at Saqqara, the cemetery of Memphis. The most important people buried there were several viziers.
The vizier was the highest state official, perhaps comparable to a modern prime minister. From the late Middle Kingdom onwards, two viziers were in charge: one for Upper and one for Lower Egypt. The latter had his residence at Memphis, where he was also buried. Another important official attested at Memphis was the ‘Overseer of the Seal’. The Overseer of the Seal Nehesy was in office under the ruling queen Hatshepsut (c.1479-1458 BC). He was involved in her famous Punt expedition and was buried at Saqqara. The Overseer of the Seal Meryra lived under king Amenhotep III and was the educator of the prince Sa-atum, perhaps a brother of Amenhotep III. Meryra was also buried at Saqqara, and is known from two reliefs from his tomb, now in Vienna.
A third important official at the royal court in Memphis was the ‘High Steward’, who managed the estates that supplied the palace and the royal court with food. Under Amenhotep III, there were two high stewards in charge, one in Upper Egypt, with his residence in Thebes, and one in Lower Egypt, with his residence in Memphis. The best-known high steward under Amenhotep III at Memphis was a certain Amenhotep, again buried at Saqqara.
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