Bani Salamah and the History of Merimde Beni Salama

Bani Salamah is associated with Merimde Beni Salama, a Neolithic settlement site with a layered history. The focus here is not only on its chronology, but also on traces of everyday settlement life: huts made of wattle and reeds, different ground plans, and burials within the settlement. For travellers interested in early forms of settlement, this place offers a specific historical focus.

Merimde Beni Salama: a Neolithic settlement

Hermann Junker discovered Merimde Beni Salama in 1928 during his Western Delta expedition. The settlement consisted of small huts made of wattle and reeds. Their ground plans were round or elliptical—an illustrative complement to the site’s chronology. The later phase of the Merimde Beni Salama culture corresponds to the Fayum Neolithic, also called Fayum A, and the Badari culture.

Merimde Beni Salama is considered the first site in northeastern Africa to include fully developed architectural structures alongside domesticated animals and cultivated plants. The interplay of these elements makes the site particularly interesting for anyone keen to explore how settlements, animal husbandry, and plant cultivation can be considered together in early history.

Burials and changing uses

The dead were buried within the settlement: in a crouched position, in oval pits, and without grave goods. These details distinguish the burials in their form and contents, adding another dimension to the picture of the Neolithic settlement. During the Maadi culture, Merimde Beni Salama was used as a cemetery. This makes it possible to situate a later historical use of the site alongside its early settlement phase.

What archaeological investigations revealed

A geomagnetic survey by Cornelius Meyer and Dana Pilz of Eastern Atlas Berlin recorded archaeological features at and beside the currently registered site. Initial test trenches confirmed the results and indicated a larger settlement area than previously known. An abandoned canal crossing the site was also identified. These findings therefore expand our understanding of the settlement’s extent, without implying that the canal is a present-day visitor route.

In 2015, Kristian Strutt of the University of Southampton conducted a further magnetic survey at Wadi el-Gamal in the Merimde Beni Salama area, discovering previously unknown structures. Together with the findings at and beside the site, this survey shows how archaeological research can uncover new evidence about the settlement area and its surroundings.

Finds and local orientation

Finds from Merimde Beni Salama in the Petrie Museum include stone tools and pottery. These objects add tangible evidence to the archaeological history: alongside the hut forms and burials, they also bring tools and pottery finds into focus.

The archaeological site area is designated as archaeological land. A 1996 government decision lists a state-owned area of 7 feddans, 9 qirats, and 3 sahms within plot no. 95 in the al-Sawān no. 4 basin, and assigns it to the landholdings of Bani Salamah, Imbaba, Giza Governorate. If you are planning to visit the area, check access in advance. Bani Salamah railway station is on Al-Khattatbah Street in Bani Salamah, Imbaba, Giza Governorate; check current connections before including it in your travel plans.

If Merimde Beni Salama is the focus of your trip, you can search specifically for a holiday rental in Bani Salamah.

Giza as a distinct regional context

The wider destination of Giza offers another historical perspective. Memphis was Egypt’s principal administrative capital during the Old Kingdom; the Temple of Ptah is located in Mit Rahina. The three Pyramids of Giza were built for Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure, and the Pyramid of Khufu is the last surviving Wonder of the Ancient World. The Great Sphinx and the Valley Temple also form a distinct historical context: the Sphinx is next to the Valley Temple, which leads to the mortuary temple and pyramid of King Khafre. These themes complement the view of the Neolithic settlement with other historical highlights of the wider destination of Giza.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: 6th of October City, Bawīti, Bani Majdul, Mandishah, Kerdasah, Al Doqi, Giza, Atati.

Go to the overview of the wider destination: Giza.