Letopolis Explained

Letopolis
Native Name:Λητοῦς Πόλις
ⲟⲩϣⲏⲙ, ⲃⲟⲩϣⲏⲙ
اوسيم
Native Name Lang:el
Pushpin Map:Egypt
Coordinates:30.1167°N 39°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Egypt
Unit Pref:Metric
Area Urban Footnotes:[1]
Area Total Km2:72.41
Elevation M:12
Population Footnotes:[2]
Population As Of:2023
Population Total:430,609
Population Density Km2:auto

Letopolis (Greek: Λητοῦς Πόλις) was an ancient Egyptian city, the capital of the second nome of Lower Egypt. Its Egyptian name was Khem (ḫm),[3] and the modern site of its remains is known as Ausim (from).[4] [5] [6] The city was a center of worship of the deity Khenty-irty or Khenti-kheti, a form of the god Horus. The site and its deity are mentioned in texts from as far back as the Old Kingdom (c. 2686–2181 BC), and a temple to the god probably stood there very early in Egyptian history. The only known monuments at the site, however, date to the reigns of pharaohs from the Late Period (664–332 BC): Necho II, Psamtik II, Hakor, and Nectanebo I.[7] [5]

In popular culture

Letopolis is depicted in the 2017 video game Assassin's Creed Origins,[8] set during the last years of the Ptolemaic Era of Egypt,[9] as having been "rediscovered" and used as a base by one of the game's antagonists, Taharqa. Also known as "The Scarab", Taharqa seeks to redevelop the formerly abandoned city and have it become his own "great work", but he is therein opposed by militant worshippers of the goddess Sekhmet, to whom Letopolis was surrendered ages ago as a propitiatory offering.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Awsīm (Markaz, Egypt) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location . citypopulation.de . 17 March 2023.
  2. Web site: Egypt: Administrative Division (Governorates and Districts) - Population Statistics, Charts and Map . citypopulation.de . 27 July 2025.
  3. [Miriam Lichtheim]
  4. Web site: Peust . Carsten . Die Toponyme vorarabischen Ursprungs im modernen Ägypten . 16.
  5. Book: Snape, Steven. 2014. The Complete Cities of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson. 978-0-500-77240-9. 185.
  6. Web site: Trismegistos. Trismegistos. 2018-02-26.
  7. Wilkinson, Richard H. (2000). The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson. p. 111
  8. News: Assassin's Creed Origins: find the Temple of a Million Years in The New Kid in Town . Brenna . Hillier . 30 October 2017 . 15 August 2019 . . Gamer Network.
  9. News: Assassin's Creed Origins The New Kid in Town Quest - How to Find the Temple of a Million Years . Hirun . Cryer . 24 September 2018 . 15 August 2019 . . 10 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200810192505/https://www.usgamer.net/articles/24-09-2018-assassins-creed-origins-guide-beginners-guide-tips-and-tricks/new-kid-in-town-quest-guide . dead .