MENDÈS ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE

What remains of the capital of Lower Egypt's ^16th nome, "the Dauphin"? A few ruins in the middle of a large field. Two gods were celebrated here, a fish goddess and a ram, "the goat lord of Mendes". The city had at least four temples dedicated to this principal divinity. A king of Mendes, Nephretis ^I, created Egypt's ^XXIXth dynasty, which reigned from 380 to 343. His limestone tomb is still visible on the site. The city then declined under the Ptolemies.