Napata is an ancient egyptian/Nubian city located near the Nile in southern part of the country, representing the southern limit of the Egyptian empire from around 1460 to 1100 B.C. Napata became the center of the Nubian Kingdom from around 800 B.C. and lasted for over 400 years. Nubia, referred to by the egyptians as Kush, represents the area south of the Egyptian empire in Africa, which was strongly influence by the Egyptians. Napata is located in the Fourth Cataract on the Gebel Barkal, a small mountain where the Egyptian and Nubians believe the god Amun resided.
Napata has several pyramids near it, the first and largest belonging to Taharqa. Taharqa became pharaoh at 690 B.C., succeeding his brother Shebitku, and ruled for twenty-six years. He is known for his work on the Temple of Amun at Karnak as well as work in Memphis and Thebes, building and rebuilding temples and shrines. During his rule, most of Egypt was taken over by the Assyrian King Assurbanipal, from which he fled to Napata where he finished his reign as the of the Kush.
After Taharqa, nineteen other kings and fifty-three queens were buried near Napata. The 25th dynasty was started and dominated by rulers from Kush. Amenirdis I, daughter of King Kashta (760-747 B.C.) began the 25th dynasty by reunifying Egypt. The pyraminds there are much smaller than infamous pyramids in the north and are known for their unusually steep slope. They were built of sandstone and, thus, are very weathered down.
The Kush followed the Egyptians by constructing their tombs as the traditional tumulus; circuliar structure, vertical slabs, filled with rubble and sand, and with a chapel on the east side. They also followed the Egyptian burial customs and traditions. Napatan Kings were mummified, placed in an anthropoid coffin, and accompanied by the canopic jars. Later kings built the pyraminds.
