Nomes of Upper Egypt

Ta Shemau; Upper Egypt

Upper Egypt was known to the ancient Egyptians as Ta Shemau. It was divided into twenty-two areas called Nomes.

Upper Egypt
Jeff Dahl, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Upper Egypt extended from the Libyan Desert south past Abu Simbel. The labelling of “upper” and “lower” seems counter-intuitive, with Upper Egypt in the south and Lower Egypt in the north, but in fact relates to the Nile which flows from the highlands of East Africa (upstream) to the Mediterranean Sea (downstream).

The patron goddess of Upper Egypt was Nekhbet, and so Upper Egypt can also be represented by a vulture. This goddess appears with Wadjet (of Lower Egypt) in the Pharaoh’s “Nebty” name (also known as the “two ladies”). However, Upper Egypt was also associated with Isis, Hathor, Sekhmet, and Set.

Upper Egypt was associated with the lotus flower but was also represented by the sedge reed, which is referenced in the Pharaoh’s Prenomen which begins with the epithet “he of the sedge and bee” (meaning he of Upper and Lower Egypt). The Pharaoh (and some of the gods) wore the White Crown (“hedjet”) to display their guardianship of Upper Egypt. This crown was combined with the Red Crown of Lower Egypt to form the Double Crown (“pschent”).

Nome List

1: Ta Khentit (Frontier) or Ta-Seti (land of the bow)

Gods
Khnum, Satet (Satis), Anuket (Anukis), Isis, Horus the Elder, and Sobek

Cities
Abu (Elephantine), temples of Khnum and Satet (Satis) and temple of Amenhotep III (now demolished)
Sunet (Syene, Aswan), temple of Isis
Nubyt (Arabic Kom Ombo), double temple of Sobek with Horus

White Chapel
Represented by Horus

2: Wetjes Hor (Throne of Horus)

Gods
Horus

Cities
Djeba (Apollonopolis, Edfu), temple of Horus and the shrine of governor Isi

White Chapel
Represented by Horus of Behedet

3: Nekhen (The rural Shrine)

Gods
Horus, Nekhbet, Khnum, Neith

Cities
Nekhen (Hierakonpolis, Kom al-Ahmar), temple of Horus
Nekheb (Eleithyiaspolis, Elkab), temple of Nekhbet and Sobek
Nekheb desert valley, temples of Hathor and Shesmetet
Iunet (Esna), temple of Khnum and Neith

White Chapel
Represented by Nekhbet, Horus of Nekhen, Wenu

4: Waset (The Was sceptre)

Gods
Amun, Mut, Khonsu, Montu, Sobek, Meretseger, the Buchis cult,

Cities
Perhathor (Pathyris, Gebelein), temple of Hathor
Imiotru (Rizeiqat), temple of Montu
Djerty (Tod), temple of Montu
Waset (Thebes, also Qurneh for West Bank or Luxor and Karnak for East Bank), temple of Amun,
Mut and Khonsu (and many others)
Madu (Medamud), temple of Montu

White Chapel
Represented by Montu

5: Herui (The two falcons)

Gods
Min, Seth

Cities
Shenhur, temple of Isis
Gis (Apollonopolis mikra, Qus), temple of Horus and Heqet, and divine child KhonsuThoth
Gebtyu (Coptos, Qift), temple of Min and Isis
Nubt (Ombos, Naqada), temple of Seth

White Chapel
Represented by Min of Coptos

6: Aa-ta (Crocodile)

Gods
Hathor, Ihy

Cities
Iunet (Tentyris, Dendera), temples of Hathor and Ihy

White Chapel
Represented by Hathor and Iq

7: Sheshesh (Sistrum)

Gods
Bat, Hu

Cities
Hut-Sekhem-Senusret (Diospolis Parva, Hu)

White Chapel
Represented by Bat

8: Abdju (Great Land)

Gods
Khentamentiu, Osiris, Anhur

Cities
Abdju (Osiris, Abydos, al-Arabah), temple of Osiris Khentamentiu

White Chapel
Represented by Khentamentiu

9: Min

Gods
Min

Cities
Ipu khent-min (Panopolis, Akhmim), temple of Min
Hut-Repyt (Athribis, Wannina)

White Chapel
Represented by Min

10: Wadjet (the snake)

Gods
Seth, Maahes, Nemty

Cities
Djebu (Antaeopolis, Qau al-Kabir), temple of Nemty

White Chapel
Represented by Bau (or Seru?)

11: Set

Gods
Horus, Seth

Cities
Shashotep (Apotheke, Shutb)

White Chapel
Represented by Bau

12: Dw-f

Gods
Nemty

Cities
Hut-Sekhem-Senusret (Hu)

White Chapel
Represented by Matyt or Bat

13: Atef-Khent

Gods
Wepwawet, Anubis

Cities
Saut (Lycopolis, Asyut), temple of Wepwawet

White Chapel
Represented by Wepwawet

14: Atef-Pehu

Gods
Hathor

Cities
Qesy (Cusae, al-Qusiya), temple of Hathor

White Chapel
Represented by Hathor (but her name is lost)

15: On

Gods
Thoth, the Ogdoad

Cities
Khemenu (Hermopolis, Ashmunein), temple of Thoth

White Chapel
Represented by Aha (Bes) or Wenut

16: Mehedj (Oryx)

Gods
Pakhet, Khnum

Cities
Hebenu (Kom el-Ahmar), temple of Horus (not found)
Tadehnet (Greek Akoris, Arabic Tehna), temple of Amun and possibly Sobek

White Chapel
Represented by Horus of Hebenu

17: Anpu (Anubis)

Gods
Anubis, Anput

Cities
Saka (al-Qes?), temple of Bata?
Hardai, temple of Anubis

White Chapel
Represented by Anubis of Henu

18: Nemty

Gods
Nemty

Cities
Hutnesut (Sharuna), temple of Horus-Dunanwy
Hardai, temple of Anubis

White Chapel
Represented by Nemty

19: Wab (The pure sceptres)

Gods
Seth, Mormyrus fish

Cities
Permedjed (Oxyrhynchus, Bahnasa)

White Chapel
Represented by Igay

20: Atef-Khent (the southern Sycamore)

Gods
Heryshef

Cities
Henennesut (Heracleopolis, Ihnasya), temple of Heryshef

White Chapel
empty

21: Atef-Pehu (the Lower Laurel/ the northern Sycamore)

Gods
Khnum, Sobek, Renpet

Cities
Shedyet (Crocodilopolis in Greek and Euergetis or Arsinoe during the Ptolemaic period), cult of Sobek
Shenakhen/Semenuhor (Akanthon, possibly near Kafr Ammar or Kafr Tarkhan)

White Chapel
Represented by Khnum

22: Maten (the knife)

Gods
Hathor

Cities
Tepihu (Aphroditopolis, Atfih), temple of Hathor
The White Chapel entry suggests that the Fayum region was part of this province

White Chapel
Represented by Neith and Sobek of the southern lake

Nomes of Lower Egypt

Copyright J Hill 2010