Upper and Lower Egypt

Upper and Lower Egypt also referred to as The Two Lands is a name used for Ancient Egypt. The concept appears in titles of Egyptian Kings and Queens and appears in scenes in temples and tombs. The concept also refers to an innate sense of duality in the Ancient Egyptian culture.

The Egyptian expression sema-tawy is usually translated as "The Uniter of the Two Lands" and was depicted as a human trachea entwined with the papyrus and lily plant. The trachea stood for unification, while the papyrus and lily plant represent Lower and Upper Egypt.

Standard titles of a King of Egypt was King of Upper and Lower Egypt (written as nsw-bi.tj) and Lord of the Two Lands (written as nb-t3wy). Similarly a Queen might use titles such as Lady of The Two Lands (nbt-t3wy), Mistress of the Entire Two Lands (hnwt-t3wy-tm), and Mistress of the Two Lands (hnwt-t3wy).

Ancient Egypt was divided into two regions, namely Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt. To the north was Lower Egypt, where the Nile stretched out with its several branches to form the Nile Delta. To the south was Upper Egypt, stretching to Syene. The terminology and derives from the flow of the Nile from the highlands of East Africa northwards to the Mediterranean Sea, the opposite of a north-to-south flowing river like the Mississippi, so Upper Egypt lies to the south of Lower Egypt. Lower Egypt mostly consists of the Nile Delta.

The two kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt were united c. 3000 BC, but each maintained its own regalia: the hedjet or White Crown for Upper Egypt and the deshret or Red Crown for Lower Egypt. Thus, the pharaohs were known as the rulers of the Two Lands, and wore the pschent, a double crown, each half representing sovereignty of one of the kingdoms. Ancient Egyptian tradition credited Menes, now believed to be the same as Narmer, as the king who united Upper and Lower Egypt. On the Narmer Palette the king is depicted wearing the Red Crown in one scene and the White crown in another, and thereby showing his rule over both Lands.

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