Shashotep is first mentioned in texts dating back to the First Intermediate Period.

During the subsequent Middle Kingdom it was the main town of the 11th Upper Egyptian nome.

[6] The cemeteries near the modern place Rifeh, once belonged to the town.

[5][6] During Roman time, and before fading into the desert, the city became one of the suffragan sees of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Antinoë, capital of the province of Thebais Prima.

The diocese was nominally restored in 1933 as Latin Titular bishopric by the names of Hypselis / Ipseli.