Qasr Ibrim, between Egypt and Africa: Studies in Cultural Exchange (NINO Symposium, Leiden, 11-12 December 2009) [Paperback]

The natural citadel of Qasr Ibrim in Northern Nubia occupied forthousands of years a strategic position between Egypt and the MiddleNile region, the present-day Sudan. The rich archaeological and textualfinds from the site document its history from the rule of the 'BlackPharaohs' of Egypt's 25th dynasty onwards until the Ottoman period.Briefly occupied by the Romans under Augustus, Qasr Ibrim flourished asa stronghold of Meroitic culture in the first centuries AD. In LateAntiquity, it was the political centre of a tiny kingdom, Nobadia,bordering on the Byzantine empire. Following the Christianization of theregion in the fifth and sixth centuries, it became the see of a bishop,for whom a magnificent stone-built cathedral was erected. During theArab conquest of Egypt, Nubia secured its independence under the kingsof Makouria, who had their capital further south, in Old Dongola. QasrIbrim became the residence of the eparch of Noubadia, an official whoplayed a pivotal role in the contacts between Christian Nubia andIslamic Egypt. The capture of the citadel by Shams ad-Dawla, Saladin'sbrother, in 1173, was a dramatic event that inaugurated the decline ofthe Christian kingdoms of Nubia in the later Middle Ages. <br />Thisvolume contains thirteen papers that focus on Qasr Ibrim as a keywitness to cultural interaction between Egypt and the world of theMediterranean on the one hand, and Africa, the Sudan and beyond on theother. Drawing their inspiration from the rich material found on site,these papers combine text-based and archaeological approaches.Particular attention is paid, for instance, to pottery and textilefinds, while texts written in Demotic, Meroitic, Greek, Coptic, OldNubian and Arabic are presented and discussed. Beyond the merepresentation of material, the volume addresses more general questionsconcerning cultural liminality, the role of indigenous versus foló%