Memphis’ history is older than Beale Street and barbeque; in fact, Memphis’ history starts with its namesake. Memphis, Egypt was founded in 2925 BCE by Menes, one of the first Egyptian Pharaohs, who united Upper and Lower Egypt. The city was established south of the Nile River Delta on the west bank as the capital of Ineb-hedj and was an important center for culture and trade. The land that Memphis, Tenn. was founded on originally belonged to the Chickasaw Nation; however, through the Jackson Purchase Treaty of 1818, brought about by threats and economic coercion, the Chickasaw were forced to cede nearly 20 million acres of their land. On this land, investors Andrew Jackson, John Overton and James Winchester founded Memphis in 1819. Jackson, Overton and Winchester named the new city Memphis after the ancient city in Egypt. The city’s name was inspired by geographical parallels, like its proximity to the Mississippi River, and the founder’s hopes for the city to become a hub for culture and trade, like its namesake.“[Memphis’ founders] were very ambitious, and they were very hopeful of what they thought Memphis would be in the future, and probably had [a] lot of ego associated with that because they were the ones who founded [it],” Traci Peterson, Art and AP Art History teacher said. “[Whether] you like or dislike the actual characters behind those humans, [they] forged ahead. They wanted to create something new.”
Aside from its moniker, Memphis references its Egyptian connection most often through architecture. The most iconic symbols of ancient Egyptian architecture are the pyramids of the Memphite Necropolis, now more commonly known as the Giza Necropolis. The three Great Pyramids of Giza, the Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, were all built for ancient Egyptian kings. Other iconic elements of ancient Egyptian culture are stone structures adorned with hieroglyphics, obelisks and intricately carved sculptures.
“[Ancient Egyptian architecture is] massive, it’s monumental, it’s made to impress,” Peterson said. “It’s usually sacred in some way because it’s related … to a God. [If] a pharaoh can link his or her bloodline directly to a God, which many of them tried to do through creative mythology, then they would, so that it would make their power seem that much greater.”
While neither the Pyramids of Giza nor the Memphis pyramid were built by aliens, Memphis’ iconic landmark was actually constructed during an Egyptian revival architectural craze in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The Memphis pyramid was originally built as a sporting and entertainment venue, but it stood vacant for many years after it was replaced by the more practical FedEx Forum. After betting on catching a catfish in the Mississippi, Bass Pro founder Johnny Morris resolved to build a store in the pyramid. The catfish was indeed caught and a significant renovation followed, turning Memphis’ most apparent reference to its namesake into a swamp and an attention grabbing tourist attraction.
“I think that [the Egyptian revival buildings] by themselves — they’re very pretty,” Farida Moustafa (11) said. “But, I was honestly shocked to see the pyramid here … Like, why did they decide to put a store in it? It was just kind of ‘oh’ to me. It reflects the Louvre in France more than the Egyptian pyramids.”
Renovated in 1990, during the Egyptian revival craze, the Memphis Zoo was designed to emulate the Great Temple of Ptah in Memphis. Ptah was the local god of Memphis, Egypt, and his temple was once a notable structure of the city. While there are structural references to Egypt throughout the zoo, the most prominent reference is the design of the front wall and plaza. The front wall is high and square, adorned with hieroglyphs of animals; the inside plaza maintains this theme with decorated pillars and a central obelisk. While the Memphis Zoo is often remembered for its exotic animals, it remains one of the clearest tributes to Memphis, Egypt.
“The first time I ever went to the zoo [was with my niece],” Peterson said. “I remember she was looking through the glass at that tiger and that tiger looked like he wanted to eat her, and she was totally unaware because she’s just this baby pointing at it … So I remembered just how kind of funny and weird that was, but it’s a beautiful place. I think it’s cool that they did that. It’s kind of ingenious to make it so … iconic.”
