The name for Egypt comes via the Greek word Aigyptos from the ancient Egyptian Hut-ka-Ptah , that is, the “House of the Ka of Ptah,” a name for the capital Memphis. The unification of Upper and Lower Egypt, around 3100 bce, marked the beginning of an era called the Dynastic Period in which the country was governed by single rulers. These kings eventually became known as Pharaohs (from “Great House,” that is, the royal palace).