Heliopolis

Heliopolis, known in ancient Egypt as Iunu (also On), was a major city located on the eastern bank of the Nile in the region that later became Lower Egypt. Its name in Greek means "City of the Sun." The city housed the great Temple of Ra (the sun god) and was a leading religious center for millennia. Heliopolis played a crucial role in early solar theology and cosmology, contributing to the development of sun-worship and the Ennead creation myth.

Historically, the city flourished from the Early Dynastic period through the Ptolemaic era, maintaining sacred precincts until late antiquity. It attracted priests, scribes and pilgrims, and its temple complex influenced temple architecture across Egypt. The Great Obelisk and other monuments stood within its precincts; some were moved to other cities in later periods (including the obelisk that now dominates the Place de la Concorde in Paris).

In modern times, Heliopolis is the name of a suburb of Cairo, established in the early 20th century by the Société Anonyme d'Héliopolis (the Heliopolis Oasis Company). It was designed as a garden suburb with broad avenues and distinctive architecture, and remains an affluent district with schools, religious buildings, and shops. The ancient site lies primarily in the Ain Shams district, overlapped by modern streets and limited ruins.

The name Heliopolis derives from Greek for "Sun City"; In Egyptian, the city was called Iunu or On, source of the biblical On. The city's sun cult influenced later Greek and Roman thought; the obelisks connect to its legacy.