Nubians. The Romans gave the name Nubia to the region of the Nile Valley extending roughly from the First Cataract in Egypt to the confluence of the Nile. In the 10th century bc its rulers became pharaohs of Egypt, and Napata, its capital, was briefly the centre of the ancient world.

Source: MAPS IN MINUTES™ © RH Publications (1997)

A people who live chiefly in Egypt and the Sudan, between the First and Fourth Cataracts of the River Nile. Their recorded history begins with raids by Egyptians c.2613 bc, when their country was called Kush. Then a Nubian dynasty ruling at Napata from c.920 bc conquered all Egypt. The Nubian Shabaka ruled as King of Kush and Egypt with Thebes as his capital but Assyrians forced Taharka, his successor, to withdraw (680–669 bc). After several further struggles, the Nubians drew back to Napata, and c.530 bc their capital moved to Meroë. The dynasty continued until 350 ad, when Aezanas of Aksum destroyed it; its 300 pyramids remain. Nubia was converted to Christianity in c.540 ad. Three Christian kingdoms emerged, but in 652 ad an Egyptian army conquered that at Dongola, granting peace for an annual tribute of slaves and at the end of the 13th century Mamelukes took the north. The southern kingdom survived until the 16th century, when the Funj kingdom of Sennar absorbed it.