Naqa

Naqa ( naga; twjlkt ancient Egyptian; meroitisch Tolkte; Arabic on - Naq ʿ a, Sudanese- Arabic النقعة: in - Nag ʿ a) is the name of an archaeological site in present-day Sudan.

It is one of the largest in the country and suggests a major ancient city at this point. She was at the same time with the Ptolemaic and the Roman emperors around half a millennium one of the centers of the Kingdom of Meroe, as the southern neighbor Egypt play a bridging role between the Mediterranean world and Africa.

Geographical location

The village is located about 170 kilometers north- north-east of Khartoum and about 35 kilometers south- south- east of the Nile. This is where smaller wadis at Wadi Awateib that comes from the center of the Butana region and further north ends at Wad ban Naqa on the Nile. Naqa was only a camel or donkey 's journey away from the Nile, and could have had strategic importance as a trading station on the way to the east.

Research

First European travelers reached Naqa since 1822, so among other things 1837 Hermann von Pueckler. 1843 was attended by Richard Lepsius and his Prussian Egypt - Sudan expedition, which copied some inscriptions and representations of the standing temple here. In 1958, a team from the Humboldt University in Berlin on site, which the temple 500 nt documented. Since 1995 digs in Naqa a German team of the Egyptian Museum of Berlin State Museums.

Buildings

In Naqa to find the remains of various temples. The so-called Roman Kiosk is a small temple, which has strong Hellenistic elements. Recent excavations at the construction have shown that it is well acted by a chapel of Hathor. King Natakamani founded the Amun and the Apedemak Lions Temple, both of which are quite well preserved. The massive front pylon of the Lion Temple depicts King Natakamani and queen Amanitore ( around 50 AD ), who submit their enemies, at the feet of a lion ever. On the two side walls are very well preserved reliefs of Horus, Amun and Apedemak.

In the temple there was also a stela of Queen Amanishakheto, was adopted by the date that they reigned before Natakamani. The discovery of the stele in the temple built by the king Natakamani makes this dating are uncertain, as Queen Amanishakheto could have donated the stele in their own reign the temple. However, it can also be expected that an older monument, which was previously elsewhere, has been set up in the temple. Here was found undamaged a painted " altar ", which is considered unique in Sudan and probably in Egypt. After excavation, reconstruction and measurement of the Temple of Amun was handed over to the Sudanese culture authorities on 1 December 2006.

Another temple of Amun ( Naqa 200) excavated since 2004. The builder is Amanichareqerem. Where crowds of class relief. The decoration is the lion temples of Natakamani very similar, so this ruler Amanichareqerem, which has been dated to the 2nd or 3rd century AD, probably reign very close to Natakamani. This also shows how new knowledge can change the shaky Nubian chronology. Three reconstructed wall relief items from the temple 200 can be seen as a permanent loan since the re-opening of the New Museum.

Finally, stands at the foot of the sandstone mountains of Jebel Naqa (Arabic for mountain Naqa ) nor the temple 500 It was built by Candace Shanakdakheto around 135 BC and is the oldest building of the site. The texts on the temple walls, which they call, are the oldest known writings in Meroitic hieroglyphs. Judging by the relief claimed, the temple of the Theban triad of Amun, Mut, and Khonsu and Apedemak was consecrated. 1834 Temple of Giuseppe Ferlini was severely damaged in the search for treasures. An excavation and restoration stands out so far.

Exhibition

  • 2011: Royal City Naga - Excavations in the desert of Sudan, State Museum of Egyptian Art, Munich and Art Forum Berlin Volksbank, Berlin
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