NOBATIA

The consensus among historians is that Nobatia was conceived from the Kushite Kingdom. It is also commonly believed that Roman Emperor Diocletian [i] may have invited the Nobatae people from the oases into the region after his military withdrawal. One theory [ii] suggests that some of the royal family of the Meroe Kingdom moved to Pachoras and re-established their kingdom as the Nobatia civilization. Despite these theories, it is unclear where the Nobatae people originated from. Because of this, the kingdom received the title of “Group-X” [iii] from many archeologists. Nobatia was eventually annexed by their sister kingdom, Makuria, in the 7th century.

Two of the Nobatae’s closest allies were their biggest enemies. The Nobatae people were invited to the region from the Western Desert by the Romans, but later went on to fight them with their allies, the nomadic Blemmyes. It was an unsuccessful campaign, leading to their great defeat. Additionally, the Nobatae and Blemmyes were infamous for aligning and betraying each other. An inscription [iv] carved into the walls of the Temple of Kalabsha depicts king Silko on horseback spearing his Blemmye enemy. Because of their off-and-on relationship, much of what we know about the Nobatae is inferred from evidence about the Blemmyes.

Before the flooding of Lake Nasser in 1964, which destroyed the city of Faras, a team of Polish archeologists excavated the town and discovered many temples, the Faras cathedral, and several pottery shots. The Faras cathedral [v] had the largest collection of preserved wall paintings from Christian Nubia ever found. These paintings depicted scenes from Christianity including apostles and the Virgin Mary as well as some portraits of important rulers and citizens. In addition to these archeologically significant finds, a document [vi] listing each Bishop of Faras and the length of their reign brought historians more clarity about the history of the city.

It seems that Nobatia was primarily tribal and ruled by eparchs [vii]. Over time, as eparchs gained more power and began to be considered kings. King Silko is the most prominent Nobatian ruler and is believed to have consolidated the region into one kingdom. He is also the ruler that drove the Blemmyes out of the Middle Nile Valley to the Eastern Desert once and for all. After conversion to Christianity, it seems that the church and bishops had great influence over the kingdom. Several burial sites of Nobatian rulers bear crowns and royal insignias adding evidence to the hierarchy of rulings.

Earlier Nobadae worshiped a blend of Byzantine and pharaonic gods [viii]; Isis was an important deity and many temples were dedicated to her. With the arrival of Christian missionaries in the 6th century including Julian and Longinus, the kingdom converted to Christianity in 543 C.E. As Christianity spread quickly, the capital became a center for Christianity as a bishopric. The conversion to Christianity brought political benefits as it strengthened relations with the Christian Romans and Byzantines leading to a period of relative peace. After annexation by the Makurian kingdom, Arab [ix] invaders eventually prompted the spread of Islam in the 7th century.

Nobatia became a significant Christian hub, especially in the capital city of Pachoras (Faras) [x], where six churches, the rock chapel and cathedral from the Christian period are some of the most significant archeological finds in the region. Faras was also named the capital city of the Christian Nubian bishops and encouraged the building of many temples. The paintings of cathedral walls depict biblical narratives as well as portraits of important figures in the kingdom and are quality examples of signature Byzantine art. Several pottery shops with Christian-themed crafts have also been uncovered, suggesting that the city was a prominent artisanal hub.

Many Nobadae were farmers living in mud villages, however in urban centers such as Pachoras, the production of artisan goods including pottery and textiles also flourished. Pachoras existed before and outlasted the Nobatian kingdom; however, during this time it became a trade and commercial hub for the region and the capital for the Christian Nubian Bishops. Trade between Egypt [xi] and Nobatia was consistently thriving with the main exports consisting of slaves and dates and the main imports being wine, textiles, and luxury goods of pottery, glass, and bronze. This trade allowed the circulation of the Egyptian currency in Nobatia, further boosting the economy.