n.
Capital of ancient Egypt during the Old Kingdom ( 0441; 2575 0441; 2130 BC), located on the western bank of the Nile River , south of modern Cairo .
Founded 0441; 2925 BC by Menes, it was by the 3rd dynasty a flourishing community. Despite the rivalry of Heracleopolis and Thebes , it remained important, particularly in the worship of Ptah . Beginning in the 8th century BC, it fell successively to Nubia, Assyria, Persia, and Macedonia under Alexander the Great . Its importance as a religious centre was undermined by the rise of Christianity and then of Islam. It was abandoned after the Muslim conquest of Egypt in AD 640. Its ruins include the great temple of Ptah, royal palaces, and an extensive necropolis. Nearby are the pyramids of Saqqara and those at Giza .