Egypt Under Nubian Rule

When Piankhy died about 712 BCE, the northern Egyptian princes rebelled against Nubian rule. Then Piankhy's brother, Shabaqo, became king in Napata and again invaded Egypt.

Shabaqo was the first Nubian pharaoh to move to Egypt and live there. He and his successors, Shabitqo and Taharqa, became keenly interested in ancient Egyptian traditions and tried to bring them back. They encouraged artists to copy the ancient art styles of one or two thousand years before, and even began using the pyramid as the royal tomb type again.

	Bronze statuette of King Shabaqo, brother of Piankhy. He established Nubian rule over all Egypt about 710 BCE and made his residence at Memphis, near modern Cairo. The "cap crown" he wears was the typical headgear of the kings of Kush. He ruled from about 712 to 704 BCE.
	Courtesy of the National Museum, Athens.

During their rule in Egypt, the kings of Kush restored many temples there and added some fantastic new constructions, such as the gigantic columned kiosk inside the first court of Karnak temple at Thebes. It was built by King Taharqa (690-664 BCE). Sadly today only one of the columns remains standing.

Photo: T. Kendall.

Detail of a fragmentary papyrus of the Kushite period in Egypt. The black-skinned High Priest of Amun (on the right) greets the god's shrine as it is carried from the temple by light-skinned priests (on the left). The two men in the middle are high officials of the city of Thebes. Note that the highest ranking man has the darkest skin, for he was a Nubian and a grandson of King Shabaqo.

Courtesy of the Brooklyn Museum.