Al-Ašmūnayn

Ashmunayn occupies the site of ancient Hermopolis, on the western side of the Nile in Middle Egypt. Its Egyptian name, Khmun, referred to the eight primordial deities of the city's creation tradition. It was also a centre of worship for Thoth, the god of writing and wisdom, whom Greek speakers identified with Hermes. The city remained important under Roman rule and became an early Christian centre, with churches rising among the remains of its older temples.