Ancient Egyptian cities and towns have until recently been one of the least-studied and least-published aspects of this great ancient civilization. Now new research and excavation are transforming our knowledge. The Complete Cities of Ancient Egypt is the first book to bring these latest discoveries to a wide general and scholarly audience, and to provide a comprehensive overview of what we know about ancient settlement during the dynastic period. Divided in two halves, the book opens with an account of the development of urban settlement in Egypt, describing the pattern of urban life, from food production, government, crime and health to schooling, leisure, ancient tourism, and the interaction of the living community with the dead. The second half of the book takes the reader on a trip down the Nile from Aswan to the Delta, giving a comprehensive account of all cities and towns with details for each of their discovery, excavation and important finds, supported by maps and plans as well as recent photographs. This book is sure to appeal to all those concerned with urban design and history, as well as tourists, students and Egyptophiles.;Urban life in ancient Egypt -- pt. I. The rise of the city. What is a city? -- The origins of urbanism in Egypt -- The location of cities -- Building the city -- Egyptian words for towns and cities -- Estimating population -- pt. II. Cities for kings and gods. Palaces -- Fortified cities -- Temple and city -- pt. III. Cities for people. City government -- Towns and houses of the Middle Kingdom -- Towns and houses of the New Kingdom -- Country houses -- Community centres -- Feeding and supplying the city -- Working life -- Water and sanitation -- Schools -- Crime in the city -- Leisure -- Tourism -- Death in the city -- pt. IV. Graeco-Roman Egypt. The classical city in Egypt -- Alexandria ad Aegyptum -- The Faiyum in the Graeco-Roman period -- Middle Egypt in the Graeco-Roman period -- pt. V. Gazetteer of cities and towns of ancient Egypt. Elephantine and Aswan -- Southern Egypt -- Thebes -- The Theban/Coptite region -- Middle Egypt -- Amarna: the complete city? -- Other Middle Egyptian cities -- The Faiyum -- Memphis: the shifting city -- Heliopolis: city of the sun -- The Memphite region -- The Delta: Cities of the Canopic Branch ; Cities of the Rosetta Branch ; Cities of the Damietta Branch ; Cities of the Pelusiac Branch ; Fortress-towns of the Eastern Delta and Wadi Tumilat -- Northern Sinai -- The oases -- The Mediterranean coast -- Nubia -- Epilogue: Lost cities.