Kushite architecture (Muswwarat es-sufra /naqa)
A major Meroitic settlement existed at the river(Nile)crossing, and other
important centres, notable today for their striking Temples, arose nearby
at Naqa and Musawwarat es-sufra (North of Khartoum Capital of Sudan" |
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Napata
Gebel Barkel, the flat-topped 'Holy mountain'. The sacred site deep within
the Nubian own territory of Upper Nubia where they honored their gods
despites Egyptian attempts to change them. It was believed to be the
dwelling of the god Amen-Ra and several temples were erected in his honour.
For more on this read "The Napatan Palace at Gebel Barkal - A first look
at B1200" -by Timthy Kendal - pp302-313 ' Egypt and Africa - edited by
W.V.Davis - British Museum"
However 'seeing is believing' why not visit the site in Sudan and see
for yourself..??? |
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Meroe
More Pyramids in Nubia than anywhere:Kings were believed to be living gods
and when died them and their queen were burried in great splendor. The
largest burial structures were the pyramids. Both Egyptian and Nubian used
pyramids for such purpose,however there were actually more pyramids in
Nubia than in Egypt. The largest Nubian Pyramids are at Meroe, Nuri and El
Kuru in Sudan.
Herodotus and Meroe:
"...when thou has passed through this part in forty daysa, thou enterest
again into another ship and sailest tweleve days; and thereafter thou
comest to a great city, the name whereoff is Meroe. And the city is said
to be the mother city of the other Ethiopians" Herodotus 500 B.C. |
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Pyramids of Meroitic Rulers (Meroe-Sudan) 300
B.C |
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Meroe The Powerful Kushite Kingdom:
" in the 8th. Century BC a new and powerful Kushite Kingdom emerged in the
region of Napata, downstream of the 4th. cataract. The native princes who
ruled this state laid the foundations of what was to become the greatest
and the most sophisticated civilization in ancient Nubia, the Kingdom of
Meroe." John Taylor in his book "Egypt and Nubia" |
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Kerma
"The Kerma Culture:Wealth and Glory: The Egyptians had built their forts
as bases from which they could trade with a third group of Nubian that was
living in Upper Nubia at this time. This group had established a
remarkable empire in the south, beyond the reach of the Egyptians forts,
in their own homeland between the Third and Fourth cataracts of the Nile
Rive. They belonged to what arachaeologists call the Kerma Culture, named
after Kerma, their capital city. the rulers of kerma had gradually
established regular trade routes to the interior of AFrica. All of
Africa's luxury goods were imported into Kerma and from there passed,
through a series of Middlemen, to the islands of the eastern Mediterranean
Sea and beyond. the goods included exotic animals such as the leopard and
giraffe, as well as their skins;ivory in the form of elephant
tusks;ostrich eggs and feathers;hardwoods such as ebony;and gold in vast
quantities. Through the wealth built up by this exchange of goods, the
Nubians of Kerma became exceedingly rich....." from "The Nubians"
by R.S.Bianchi |
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Deffufa(Kerma -Sudan) A monumental brick structure represented the
principal religious buildung in Kerma (The Capital of Kush - the great
Nubian Kingdom) |
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Christian Nubia
"..The introduction of christianity into Nubia marked a break in many
ancient traditions. the most far-reaching change was the seperation of the
institutions of church and state. For millennia the people of Nubia had
been accustomed to be ruled by kings who were considered divine and who
combined secular and religious authority in one person. Now the king was
no longer a god and his control over religious affairs was
minimal.............The sepeartion of church and state encouraged the
development of a more efficient giovernment and legal system..........The
eight to nine centuries of the Christian era was a period of growth and
prosperity in both the political and cultural spheres.." John H
Taylor (Egypt and Nubia - British Museum) |
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Marianos , Bishop of Faras (Sudan) AD1005-36 |
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Nubian Egypt
Egypt under Nubian(Kushite) Rule
"..About thirteen years later Piye's successor Shabaqo invaded Egypt again
and brought the wholecountry firmly under Kushite control.
Shabaqo(c.716-702 BC) and his three successors Shabitqo, Taharqo and
Tanutamani, regarded themselves as legitimate pharohs of Egypt and were
later reckoned as constituity the 25th. Dynasty. They ruled both Egypt and
Kush jointly for about fifty years, bringing much-needed peace and
stability to the northern kingdo......" John H. taylor
King Taharqo the great Kushite Nubian was the greatest builder of his line
and many new structures were erected in Egypt in his reign. When Egypt was
under Kushite rule and At Karanak(Egypt) he erected four colonnades at the
entrances to the pricipal New Kingdom temples, of which that in the first
court of the Temple of Amun. |
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One
of the Four Colonnades at Karanak(Egypt) : Nubian Monuments in Egypt |
