South of Egypt lies one of the greatest nations of ancient Africa. At one time it was more developed than famed Egypt. This was the land kush or Nubia, a great center of learning. Europeans of those days travelled to this land to acquire knowledge. Kushite or Nubian pharaohs were black, thus Europeans are quick to point them out as the famed black pharaohs of the Nile area. However the first and intermediate dynasties of Egypt had black pharaohs too.
The land of Nubia was the cradle of religion. First recorded observance of religion in the world occurred in ancient Nubia. This traditional religion predates all ancient Egyptian worship and served as a template for Egyptian religious development. There is a place in today's Sudan called Gebel Barkel, this area for thousands of years was a religious site, one of the first in the world for observance of pilgrimage. Many trooped from surrounding lands to this place for worship. There is a mountain situated in Gebel Barkel known as holy mountain. Even the ancient Egyptians regarded this place as the sacred dwelling place of the good Amen Ra, the sun god. The Nubians built temples for Amen Ra and so did their Egyptian northern neighbors. In fact, the worship of Amen Ra came through the Nubians while ancient Egyptians borrowed the process. We can authoritatively say religion sprang up first in Ancient Africa, black Africa. The major three ancient Egyptain gods, Osiris, Horus and Is, originally came from kush. Diodorus Siculus, 90 BCE -21BCE, an ancient Greek Historian said Osiris was a community leader in the land of Nubia. Some theorized based on this information that Osiris founded ancient Egypt, that is, he led a Nubian migrating band North into Egypt. It is believed he introduced crude writing, well organized agricultural practices and statehood. He married a Nubian woman and both saw the rise of Egypt.
The temples of ancient Egypt and Nubia also served as universities. They were many, a place where arithmetic, religion and science were developed and taught. The priests functioned as scholars too, they divided the temple into two, a house of books and house of life. These universities had formal set up, scribal training was very important since one must first learn how to write well. Unlike in Egypt where education existed for the elite, poor and ordinary citizens could acquire quality education. At this time the Nubians were custodians of so much knowledge which included history, mathematics, astrology, philosophy, navigation etc.
North of Nubia near lower Nubia, the 365 calendar was first developed about 5000 thousands years ago. We must understand the advancement made by black inhabitants of the Nile valley came in giant leaps. The Nubians constructed irrigation systems, heated swimming pools etc. Also in the Nile area thousands of years ago way before any recorded European civilization, smelting of iron prospered. Glass making and staining were taught and carried out. Architecture and building also boomed, huge monuments currently standing in present day Sudan and Egypt serve as testaments of this golden era. Writing and documentation prospered too. Artists produced wonderful carvings and masterpiece sculptures. Refining both metals such as gold, silver and copper flourished.
Egypt grew in strength away from foreign interference from outside Africa for about 3000 years but the Hyksos entered and took over Egypt. The Assyrians then took over Egypt, however Nubian soldiers marched North into Egypt. They retook Egypt, the original inhabitants were blacks and related to Nubians and other blacks of the Nile Area. Egypt came under the leadership and protection of Nubia. The government established by Nubia placed male pharaohs in the city of Napata, Kushite pharaohs ruled Egypt from here. Female rulers however stayed in the city of Waset and ruled from there.
Near the city of Napata stood a well planned city, Meroe, built around the 10th century BCE but some early historians believe the city predates Egypt.. The city had water baths, well built homes, temples and pyramids. Currently standing in Sudan though in bad shape are more than 80 pyramids in the area once occupied by Meroe. Then the number of pyramids might have been higher since it was a hugely successful commercial city. This city contributed hugely to the strength and power of Nubia. Today, the remains of this once glorious city still stands, monuments striking wonders into today's hearts. Meroe was a massive industrial city, it specialized in iron production. As an industrial center it eclipsed most cities around and had massive iron ore deposits. The city traded high quantities of iron as far as India. We can see Nubia developed far beyond most civilizations outside Africa. Meroe had about 200,000 standing soldiers at its height.
The fall of Nubian power over Egypt began with the kushite queen Shepenwepet the second. Nubia lost their grip of Egypt when Assyrian king Ashurbanipal invaded Egypt. Transformation of Egypt from an African state to a mixed state began. Further invasion from non African forces forced the Nubians to move their capital from Napata to Meroe, Napata declined rapidly. With the defensive approach exhibited by Nubians, Egypt never had an independent black ruler ever again. The Assyrians either ruled Egypt directly or through an installed puppet ruler. Nubia made no further attempt to retake Egypt, Egypt was now on her own. Invaders continued to disrupt Egyptian autonomy and black African culture, bringing in varying cultures and inter marriages. Egypt shifted from once black nation to a mixed race under the rule of invading powers. In 525 BC Persia invaded Egypt and took power. The Persian king Cambyses the second came to power, he sought to expand his hold in the Nile valley. Mustering an army he marched towards Nubia but his army perished under the high temperature of Nubian desert, Nubian soldiers (archers) attacked and decimated what remained of the invading army. Egypt's turmoil continued as it fell again into the hands of Greeks in 332BC under Alexander the great. With each coming invading power, black races in Egypt dwindled. Again a foreign power under Alexander attempted to conquer Nubia but faced foreign resistance. Nubia survived another assault and thus remained independent. In 30 BC Rome took over Egypt. We should note that the Greeks and Romans drew or carved native Egyptians in a manner they had African features such as dark skin, broad faces, small flat noses, afro hairs and full mouths. These ancient Europeans recognized the ancestral lineage of native Egyptians as black Africans. Ancient Greeks referred to Egypt and Nubia as Ethiopians (Ethiopia is a Greek word, it means 'burnt faces’). Ancient Greeks could not tell who is Nubian, Egyptian or Ethiopian because of their common African features. This can tell us Egypt was founded by black people and remained a black nation until a series of invasions.
Again an European power now Rome marched South towards Nubia but failed to conquer Nubia. The power of Nubia declined as her surrounding neighbors fell to European Invaders. Axum, another African nation on the Nile valley already opened to Western powers turned its attention towards Nubia. Axum conquered Nubia bringing an end to thousands of years of independence. Most of what Europeans boast of in terms of knowledge came from black Africans of the Nile valley. Religion, arts, astrology, navigation, mathematics were first developed and taught in temples of the Nile valley. The 365 day calendar we use today came from Egypt, the Romans assimilated this, changed the names of months, made minor tweaks and handed down the calendar to us.
We had a glorious history, black men had a glorious history.
