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Egypt was divided into 42 Nomes; Minya was the 16th Nome, also called the Oryx Nome, probably due to the existence of the Oryx, one of the antelope species which inhabited the area.
During the Old Kingdom, the name of the city was changed to Men`at Khufu, from where the city`s current name is derived, (Men`et Khufu) means (The nurse of Khufu), referring to king Khufu of the 4th Dynasty and founder of the Great Pyramid at Giza Plateau.
Minya encloses unique site which represents the remains of the capital that king Akhenaten built by the divine inspiration, the heretic king who called for monotheism and worshipping only god Aten during the 18th Dynasty.
The new capital was called Akhetaten, meaning Horizon of the Aten, nowadays Tell El Amarna.
Tell El Amarna necropolis consists of two groups of cliff tombs, one at each end of the city. There are 25 tombs cut into the base of the cliff, numbered from one to six in the northern necropolis and from seven to twenty five in the southern one, unfortunately many of these tombs are unfinished due to the sudden return to Thebes, Luxor nowadays, and the area was abandoned after the death of Akhenaten.
Later, the Christians occupied the area during the Roman Era as the Christians were persecuted and tortured. |
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