A map of the major cities and regions of Ancient Egypt during the dynastic period (c. 3150 to 30 BC). Egypt is traditionally divided into two halves: Lower Egypt (from the Mediterranean Sea to Dahshur, just south of Cairo) and Upper Egypt (extending south to Aswan). Further south, Egypt was bounded by the land of Kush (modern Sudan), and to the northeast, the Levant. Surrounded by harsh deserts, the river Nile was the lifeline of this ancient civilization. Memphis and Thebes were the capitals of lower and upper Egypt respectively.Map credit: Jeff Dahl