Napata

Napata is at the same time the name of a ancient kingdom of Africa and the name of its capital.

Capital

Capital of the Egyptian woman, so called kingdom of Napata, downstream from the fourth Cataract of the Nile. Old limit of the Egyptian expansion, as the stele testifies some to the Pharaon Thoutmôsis {{III}}.

Center religious

It was an important religious center by the vicinity of the Djebel Barkal, and by the presence of many religious buildings, in particular the temple of Amon, close to the crowned Mountain, and the ic temple Hathor of Moût.

Kings de Napata

See also: Kingdom of Koush

Under this denomination are qualified the sovereigns of the Royaume of Koush who control the Nubie and the Sudan following of which they are the legitimate successors. These sovereigns if they claim with the heritage of the throne of Egypt grace in particular to their influence with Thèbes and its clergy of Amon, will never manage to take again the top vis-a-vis their rivals of. Indeed, the Pharaons of had founded a powerful dynasty which had restored for a time the glory of Egypt. By their devotion with the god Amon whose origin had been located since at Napata, these sovereigns had been particularly well accepted by the Egyptians in particular of the thébaïde.

In fact they gave the principal loads of the clergy of Amon, therefore at that time of the government of the area, with family members royal, to start with the paramount role held by the Divines adoratrices of Amon, Amenardis {{Ire}}, Chepenoupet {{II}} and Amenardis {{II}}, all three princesses royal and who followed one another. Of the same wasn't Montouemhat him even a royal son, who occupied the loads of 4th prophet of Amon and Prince of the Town of Thèbes ? It will be maintained a long time in this strategic place thus supporting the relations between the two again separate kingdoms following the Assyrian invasion and of bitter failures that Taharka then Tanoutamon wiped in their attempts at reunification of the double kingdom.

Worse, at the beginning of the 6th century before our era Psammétique {{II}} organizes a punitive forwarding in order to definitively draw aside the claims of kings de Napata on Egypt, and puts at bag the capital destroying the sanctuaries of Nubie and the royal statues which symbolized this period. It is from this time that the figurations of kings de Napata will be systematically hammered or modified by removing one of both Uraeus which decorated their face and symbolized their influence on the two kingdoms of the the Nile.

Aspelta however succeeds in reconquering the lost ground. In the actual position of our knowledge and because of the little of excavations and studies on kings de Napata following, little thing is known concerning these reigns and the major events which make the history of the country, although it is known that this kingdom of Napata did not remain folded up on itself and that it will extend his influence on banks of the the Nile Sudanese as it will develop the commercial exchanges with Africa. The successors of Aspelta will maintain the independence of the kingdom in spite of inclinations of the Egyptian invaders supported by the Assyrian S then Perses which will in vain seek to push their conquests in the south of the Egypt. It is following this dangerous episode for the balance of the kingdom that the capital will then be transferred to Méroé opening a new period, that of the kings de Méroé.

This site is on the Liste of the world heritage in Africa with the Sudan.

Random links: