History Qasr Ibrim

1 history

1.1 egyptian influence
1.2 roman occupation
1.3 center of christianity

history

human habitation @ site dates late period of ancient egypt, reached greatest prominence in middle ages, when area home of eparch of nobatia. qasr ibrim source of largest collection of old nubian documents ever found, including records of eparch. site occupied until 1813, when last occupants driven out artillery fire. . today island closed archaeologists.

egyptian influence

egypt s influence in nubia began around 2,000 bc, when egyptian invaded , claimed sovereignty on area. many egyptian artifacts , evidence of egyptian architecture have been found @ qasr ibrim. earliest inscription @ site stela, stone or wooden slab, reign of amenhotep i. stela found in now-ruined christian byzantine cathedral @ qasr ibrim had been reused in 1 of church s crypts. stela located in british museum.

sandstone stela dated year 8 of pharaoh amenhotep (~1530 bc, 18th dynasty, qasr ibrim) - british museum


roman occupation

the site partly rebuilt under prefecture of gaius petronius during augustus reign. qasr ibrim played key role in rome s defense of aswan region, , held until 100 ad or later. fortress, constructed roman military engineers, strongest in nile valley @ time.

a center of christianity

stela of georgios, bishop of ibrim, 10th 11th century ac, housed in petrie museum

during roman times town 1 of last bastions of paganism, 6 temples converting christianity 2 centuries later rest of egypt. became 1 of main christian centers in lower nubia. christianity first came qasr ibrim in 6th century, had little effect. wasn t until city became part of kingdom of makuria, in 8th century, qasr ibrim became center christianity. continued through fifteenth century when makurian kingdom became islamic. city held out against islam until 16th century, when unit of bosnian soldiers, part of ottoman army, occupied site. bosnian soldiers stayed on , married local nubian community, using part of cathedral mosque.

two churches remain on site. taharqa church built between 542-580 ad, make 1 of nubia s earliest churches. many of first churches in nubia, have been constructed within walls of present temples. qasr ibrim s cathedral built later, though date of construction in unclear. archaeologists believe constructed in first half of eighth century.

island of qasr ibrim in lake nasser, egypt