Pharaohs in Africa… Ancient Relations Preserved by History

By: ِAli Abu Dashish, Yassmine ElSayed

CAIRO, Feb. 10 (SEE) - Africa was set to be very important to ancient Egyptians. Since the earliest ages of ancient Egyptian civilization, the Pharaohs were interested to reveal the features of this great ancient continent.

The pharaohs have enriched the African continent since the beginning of ancient Egyptian history. Africa was the southern depth of Egyptian civilization.

Speaking to ‘SEE’, Egyptian archaeologist Hussein Basir said that Africa provided Egypt and Egyptians with many goods and products that the ancient Egyptians needed to build their great civilization.

The Pharaohs began to strengthen trade and diplomatic relations with Africa and send missions and delegations to bring African products to ancient Egypt. Africa was the mine of ancient Egypt, as there were many products that did not exist in Egypt at that time.

In the Middle Kingdom era, Egypt began a policy of expanding its southern territory, to include Nubia. King Senusret III built a series of huge river castles, including Bohn and Toshki, and reached the third gondola. There is a famous stone documenting his military achievements in Nubia.

In the era of the modern state, the pharaohs secured Egypt's borders and strengthened diplomatic relations with its neighbors. Kings such as Thutmose I and his grandson Tuthmosis III launched military campaigns and extended the influence of Nubia, in order to strengthen loyalty and obtain the African imports required for Egypt.

Nubia was added to the lands belonging to the Egyptian empire. A representative from Egypt was appointed to rule this territory on behalf of the great pharaoh and took the title of "King's son in Kush".

The people of this territory came and paid taxes to the ancient Egyptian kings', as illustrated, for example, in the tomb of Minister Rechmey Ra on the west bank of Luxor, who served as the minister of the great King Tuthmosis III.

After the end of the modern state era, Egypt's deterrence collapsed, and the kings of the kingdom of Kush or the Kushites declared independence and and established their kingdom, with a capital located in southern Sudan. During this period, the Kushites invaded Egypt under the leadership of Ankhi or Biya, and took control of Thebes and Delta and could rule Egypt in the 8th century BC.

The kings of the Kushites ruled Egypt as the twenty-fifth family, in what is historically known as the Third Transition. The Kushites ruled Egypt for almost a hundred years, and among the most famous of their kings is the pharaoh Taharaqa, which was crowned in Memphis, Egypt. Tehragha repaired the Egyptian temples in Karnak, and built many new temples and pyramids in Nubia. But the weak Kush state could not continue to rule Egypt.

After a period, the Assyrians began attacking and invading Egypt. Both Kushite kings; Takhara and his successor Tanut Amani fought the Assyrians, however, they forced the Kochi kings to return home, and eventually Assyrians occupied Memphis, and ended the twenty-fifth Kushite family.

This ruling family was replaced by an authentic Egyptian family from the Delta area, Gharbia governorate, and established what is known as twenty-sixth family era or the Sui period (linked to their capital).

The pharaohs of this family restored prosperity and this family was one of the most beautiful and last flashes of civilization in ancient Egypt, before the sunset of Pharaonic Egypt and its transformation into a kingdom ruled by outsiders.