Nubia

Nubia is a historical region along the Nile in northeastern Africa, spanning parts of present-day southern Egypt and northern Sudan. Traditionally it lies between the first cataract at Aswan and roughly the fourth cataract, though political boundaries have shifted across different eras. The name Nubia is of ancient origin, used by Egypt to refer to lands downstream from its southern border.

In antiquity Nubia housed powerful cultures and states. The Kerma culture (c. 2500–1500 BCE) flourished in Upper Nubia, followed by the Napatan and Meroitic kingdoms. The Kushite kingdom of Napata and later Meroe produced a distinct civilization with pyramids and distinctive architecture. Kushite rulers even conquered Egypt, establishing the 25th Dynasty and sustaining long-distance trade with the Red Sea and sub-Saharan Africa. The Meroitic script, though not fully deciphered, records administration and religion.

From the 4th to the 15th centuries, Christian Nubia flourished in Nobatia, Makuria, and Alodia, creating a network of churches and monasteries. After gradual Islamization and changing imperial borders, Nubia became part of successive Muslim states and later the Ottoman and Egyptian realms. In the modern era, large portions of Nubia lay within Egypt and Sudan. The construction of the Aswan High Dam in the 1960s led to displacement and site relocations, while spurring preservation and archaeology.

Today Nubians form distinct communities with languages in the Nilo-Saharan family, including Nobiin. Nubian culture is expressed in music, crafts, and daily life, and major sites such as Kerma, Jebel Barkal, and the Meroe pyramids are recognized for their archaeological and historical significance.