Hermopolis
Ϣⲙⲟⲩⲛ | |
Basilica of Hermopolis | |
| Alternative name | الأشمونين |
|---|---|
| Location | El Ashmunein, Minya Governorate, Egypt |
| Region | Upper Egypt |
| Coordinates | 27°46′53″N 30°48′14″E / 27.78139°N 30.80389°E |
| Type | Settlement |
| Site notes | |
| Condition | In ruins |
Hermopolis (or Hermopolis Magna) was a major city in antiquity, located near the boundary between Lower and Upper Egypt. Its Egyptian name Khemenu derives from the eight deities (the Ogdoad) said to reside in the city.
A provincial capital since the Old Kingdom of Egypt, Hermopolis developed into a major city of Roman Egypt, and an early Christian center from the third century. It was abandoned after the Muslim conquest of Egypt but was restored as both a Latin Catholic (meanwhile suppressed) and a Coptic Orthodox titular see.
Its remains are located near the modern town of el-Ashmunein (from the Coptic name) in Mallawi, Minya Governorate, Egypt.