Upper Egypt, known in Arabic as “Ṣaʿīd Miṣr” and in Coptic as “Mares”, represents the southern portion of Egypt. It includes the Nile Valley, from the south of the delta and from the 30th parallel north to Lake Nasser, created by the Aswan High Dam. In ancient Egyptian times, this region was called “tꜣ šmꜣw”, which means “the Land of Reeds” or “the Sedgeland”.
2. The Prehistory of Upper Egypt
The history of Upper Egypt dates back to the predynastic period, around 3200-3000 BC. J.-C., where it would have been unified by the leaders of the supposed confederation Thinite. This unification with Lower Egypt marks the advent of the early dynastic period.
The main city of Upper Egypt in prehistoric times was Nekhen, and the patron deity was the goddess Nekhbet, represented by a vulture. Around 3600 BC. AD, Egyptian Neolithic societies along the Nile based their culture on agriculture and the domestication of animals. Egypt began to grow and grow in complexity. Craftsmanship and architecture also evolved, with the appearance of new ceramics, similar to that of the Levant, and the adoption of Mesopotamian building techniques, such as the use of sun-dried adobe bricks for arches and hollow walls.
3. The Badari and Naqada Cultures of Upper Egypt
The predynastic Badari culture of Upper Egypt was followed by the Naqada culture, also called the Amratian culture, which is closely related to Nubian and other tropical African populations. Excavations at Hierakonpolis, Upper Egypt have revealed archaeological evidence of ritual masks similar to those used further south in Egypt and obsidian linked to Ethiopian quarry sites.
4. The Symbolic Significance of Upper Egypt
Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt are closely linked in the symbolism of pharaonic sovereignty, as shown by the Pschent double crown. In royal symbolism, Upper Egypt was represented by the tall Hedjet white crown, the flowered lotus and the rush. Its patron deity, Nekhbet, was represented by the vulture. After unification, the patron deities of Upper and Lower Egypt were depicted together as the Two Ladies, to protect all ancient Egyptians, just as the two crowns were combined into one pharaonic diadem.
5. Southern Dynasties
Several dynasties of Southern or Upper Egyptian origin, including the 11th, 12th, 17th, 18th, and 25th dynasties, reunited and revitalized pharaonic Egypt after periods of fragmentation. For most of Egypt's ancient history, Thebes was the administrative center of Upper Egypt. After its devastation by the Assyrians, Egypt's importance declined. Under the Ptolemaic dynasty, Ptolemais Hermiou took over the role of the capital of Upper Egypt.
6. The Cultural Identity of Upper Egypt
In Arabic, the people of Upper Egypt are known as Sa'idis and generally speak Egyptian Sai'idi Arabic. According to a 2005 study of Theban nobles, their mummified remains had histology that "indicated noticeably dark skin." This biological characteristic, among others, has led to numerous studies on the biological affinities of the ancient Egyptian population, with particular attention paid to the skeletal morphology of the southern Egyptians of the predynastic period, characterized as an “African variant Saharo-tropical”.
These cultural advances paralleled the political unification of the cities of the upper Nile, or Upper Egypt, while the same process occurred in the societies of the Nile delta, or Lower Egypt. This led to conflict between the two new kingdoms. During his reign in Upper Egypt, King Narmer defeated his enemies on the delta and became sole ruler of the two lands of Upper and Lower Egypt, a sovereignty that endured throughout Dynastic Egypt.