Valley of the Kings at sunset

The most important of the cities were the cult centres. Each god or goddess had its own cult centre, four of which had special importance. In the northern city of Heliopolis (in the Nile delta, near modern Cairo), Ra, the sun god, was the supreme god.

Hermopolis in middle Egypt was a once-great city and the home of Thoth, the god of wisdom. Memphis, now just a ruin about 12 miles from Cairo, was once the capital of Egypt. Ptah, creator of the world, was the supreme god here.

Perhaps most important was Thebes (underneath modern Luxor), the religious and political capital of Upper Egypt. Here, Amun, the state god and creator of all things, was worshipped. The famous Valley of the Kings lies nearby.