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Some 370km (230 miles) north of Khartoum lies a large, flat-topped rock (mesa) that was one of the most sacred places in Egypt and Nubia. The distinctive feature of this 100m-high (330ft) hill is a gigantic free-standing pinnacle (shown on the left) that, when seen from the north-east, resembles a rearing cobra snake (uraeus) – the symbol of Egyptian kingship. Although there has been much debate about whether this is a natural feature, or was modified in ancient times, Gebel Barkal, the ‘Pure Mountain’, was declared the birthplace of the Egyptian god Amun in his southern, ram-headed form. Thutmose III (c.1479-1425 BC) built a temple that was considered an annex of Karnak, and the god’s southern residence. A large settlement (Napata) developed at the foot of the rock, and at least another 12 temples were built at the site over the next 1,500 years. When the Nubian Kushite kings took control after the end of the New Kingdom, Gebel Barkal became their new capital, and they believed that Amun gave them the right to rule Egypt. Excavated by George Reisner in the early 19th century, the site is a major source for the history of both the Egyptian and the Nubian peoples.
Image: Karl Harris
