Sais, ancient Egyptian city (Sai) in the Nile River delta on the Canopic (Rosetta) Branch of the Nile River, in Al-Gharbīyah muḥāfaẓah (governorate). From prehistoric times Sais was the location of the chief shrine of Neith, the goddess of war and of the loom. The city became politically important late in its history. In the late 8th century bc Tefnakhte, a Libyan prince of Sais, fought with the Cushites for control of Lower Egypt, but he lost in 713–712 bc to Shabaka, founder of the 25th dynasty of Egypt. When Assyria defeated the Cushites in 671 bc, Saite princes, as Assyrian vassals, again gained control of the Nile delta, and the Saite governor Psamtik I (664–609 bc), after expelling his Assyrian masters, conquered all of Egypt (c. 656 bc). Sais became the capital of Egypt under Psamtik I and his successors of the 26th dynasty. Enriched by Mediterranean and African trade, the Saite kings lavished their wealth on temples and palaces in Sais and built near them their tombs. When Herodotus visited Sais, it was still one of the finest cities in Egypt.
The modern site’s extensive and imposing mound has been little explored and in fact has been extensively denuded by pilferers since it was first described by J.F. Champollion in 1818. Inscribed stones found on the site and in nearby villages are all that remain of the once-great city. The modern settlement at Sais produces primarily cotton.