Heliopolis (ancient Egypt)

Heliopolis (ancient Egypt) ancient Egyptian city 8 km (5 mi) east of the River Nile at the apex of the Nile delta, and about 10 km (6 mi) north-east of Cairo. Heliopolis, the centre of sun worship in ancient Egyptian times, was originally the centre of worship of the god Tem, deity of the setting sun, later regarded as a form of the sun god Ra. In Egyptian theological literature, the city was known as Per-Ra (“City of Ra”), of which the Greek name Heliopolis (“city of the sun”) is a translation. In the Bible, Heliopolis is referred to as On, Aven, and Beth-Shemesh. Although its history goes as far back as about 2900 bc, the city reached its greatest development during the New Kingdom, beginning in about 1570 bc, when Ra, later called Amon-Ra, came to be regarded as the chief god of the Egyptian pantheon. Under the pharaoh Ramses II during the 13th century bc, the temple of Heliopolis reached the height of its influence, with almost 13,000 priests and slaves serving in it. Most of the religious literature of ancient Egypt was written by the priests of Heliopolis, who were renowned for their learning, and the temple was the repository for royal records. The city declined under later dynasties, especially after the founding of Alexandria (332 bc), and the Ptolemies almost disregarded it. When Rome occupied Egypt, the obelisks of Heliopolis were removed, and the walls of its buildings were used as construction materials for other cities.