The Medieval Kingdoms of Nubia: Pagans, Christians and Muslims Along the Middle NileThe period that followed the collapse of the Kushite Empire in the 4th century AD has traditionally been perceived as `a barbarous dark age'. Welsby, who has directed excavations in Sudan for the last twenty years and is an authority on the most southerly medieval Nubian kingdom of Alwa, argues that this view is largely the result of neglect and uses a wealth of archaeological, epigraphic and documentary evidence to highlight the cultural achievements of communities of all religions. Well-illustrated sections examine the distinct cultures of the region, developments in architecture, art, language and literacy, the impact of Christianity, notably wealthy churches and monastic buildings, and the economy of the Nubian kingdoms until their collapse in the 15th century. This is an authoritative yet accessible study which will be of interest to academic and general readers. |
Contents
Introduction | 7 |
The emergence of the Nubian kingdoms | 14 |
The arrival and impact of Christianity | 31 |
Copyright | |
13 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
Aidhab Alwan apse Arab archaeological Aswan Ballana Baqt bishops Blemmyes building burials Byzantine cathedral at Faras cemetery centre Christian period constructed Coptic crypts Debeira West decoration Dotawo earlier early Egypt el-Hobagi el-Maqrizi eparch evidence excavated Faras funerary Gartkiewicz Giorgios Granite Columns graves houses Ibid Ibn Hawqal Ibn Selim inscription Jakobielski Jebel Adda Kalabsha Kingdom of Alwa Kirwan Kushite Kushite period large numbers late Kushite Lenoble Lower Nubia Makuria Makurian king mastaba medieval Nubian medieval period Meinarti Middle Nile monastery Monneret de Villard Monophysite monuments motifs mud brick Muslim Nile Valley Nobadia Nubian churches Nubian kingdoms Old Dongola Old Nubian Plumley post-Meroitic pottery presumably Qasr Ibrim Qustul red brick region Roman rooms settlement Shinnie Shinnie and Shinnie Soba East sources stone structures suggested survival Tamit temple tombs trade tumuli upstream vaulted W. Y. Adams Wadi wall paintings Welsby and Daniels X-Group Zurawski