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Jebel Barkal facts for kids

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Jebel Barkal
جبل بركل
Gebel Barkal.jpg
Jebel Barkal is a small mountain, 98 meters tall
Jebel Barkal is located in Sudan
Jebel Barkal
Location in Sudan
Alternative name Gebel Barkal
Location Karima, Northern State, Sudan
Region Nubia
Coordinates 18°32′12″N 31°49′42″E / 18.53667°N 31.82833°E / 18.53667; 31.82833
Type Sanctuary

Jebel Barkal or Gebel Barkal is a very small mountain located in Karima town in Northern State in Sudan, on a large bend of the Nile River, in the region called Nubia. The mountain is 98 m tall, has a flat top, and apparently was used as a landmark by the traders in the important route between central Africa, Arabia, and Egypt, as the point where it was easier to cross the great river. In 2003, the mountain, together with the historical city of Napata (which sits at its feet), were named World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.

History

Around 1450 BCE, the Egyptian Pharaoh Thutmose III extended his empire to that region and considered Jebel Barkal its southern limit. There, he campaigned near the city of Napata that, about 300 years later, became the capital of the independent kingdom of Kush. The 25th Dynasty Nubian king Piye later greatly enlarged the New Kingdom Temple of Amun in this city and erected his Year 20 Victory stela within it.

Ruins

Jebel barkal rock
Jebel Barkal

The ruins around Jebel Barkal include at least 13 temples and 3 palaces, that were for the first time described by European explorers in the 1820s. In 1862 five inscriptions from the Third Intermediate Period were recovered by an Egyptian officer and transported to the Cairo Museum, but not until 1916 were scientific archeological excavations performed by a joint expedition of Harvard University and the Museum of Fine Arts of Boston.

From the 1970s, explorations continued by a team from the University of Rome La Sapienza, that was joined by another team from the Boston Museum, in the 1980s. The larger temples, such as the Temple of Amun, are even today considered sacred to the local population.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Gebel Barkal para niños

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