Temple of Apedemak at Naqa
The Kushite rulers Natakamani and Amanitore built at Naqa a temple of the lion god Apedemak; its reliefs show the two rulers triumphing over their enemies and the god in forms known nowhere else — with three lion heads and four arms, and as a serpent with a lion’s head.
- Date
- between 1 BC and AD 70exact date unknown: an interval is given
- Place
- Naqatoday: Naqa, River Nile State, Sudan · Africa
- Participants
- Natakamani, Amanitore, Kingdom of Kush
- Threads
- Africa (1st–5th c.)
- Also known as
- Lion Temple (Naqa); Apedemak Temple; Львиный храм в Наге
Naqa lies in the Butana about 50 km east of the Nile and 170 km north-east of Khartoum. On the temple’s pylon Natakamani and Amanitore are shown overpowering their prisoners, with lions at their feet. Nearby stand a 100-metre temple of Amun founded by Natakamani, with a colonnade of rams, and the so-called Roman kiosk, whose Corinthian capitals and arched windows show Greco-Roman influence. Naqa is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site “Archaeological Sites of the Island of Meroe” (2011).
Under Natakamani and Amanitore temples of Amun were built or restored at Meroë, Napata, Naqa and Amara; the amount of building suggests one of the most prosperous periods in the history of Meroë. Their dates are disputed, with estimates ranging from about 1 BC – AD 20 to the middle of the 1st century AD, when they would have been contemporaries of Nero. So is their relationship: older scholarship took them for husband and wife, but a graffito at the temple of Dakka indicates that they were mother and son.
Connections
Same participants
- Nero’s expedition to the sources of the Nilebetween 61 and 62 · Africavia Kingdom of Kush
Adjacent events in the thread
- Revolt of Tacfarinas17–24 · Africa
- Roman annexation of Mauretania40 – between 42 and 44 · Africa
Meanwhile in the world
Other regions, within a year of this event
Western and Central Europe
- Death of Augustus19 August 14
- Boudica’s revoltbetween 60 and 61
- Battle of the Teutoburg ForestSeptember 9
- Roman conquest of Britain43 – between 83 and 84
- Great Fire of Rome19 July 64 – c. 27 July 64
+ 2 events
Eastern Europe
- Roman–Bosporan War45–49
- Rome recognises Aspurgus as king of the Bosporus14
- The Alans appear on the Don and in the North Caucasusbetween 50 and 72
- Plautius Silvanus lifts the Scythian siege of Chersonesusbetween 61 and 66
- Zarubintsy culturec. 200 BC – c. 200
Balkans and Anatolia
- Thrace becomes a Roman province46
- Missionary journeys of Paulc. 46 – between 57 and 58
- Earthquake in Lydia17
- Dioscorides’ De materia medicabetween 50 and 70
Middle East and Egypt
- Crucifixion of Jesusbetween 30 and 33
- Aretas IV and the height of Petra9 BC – AD 40
- Periplus of the Erythraean Sea40s … 70s
- Roman–Parthian War of 58–6358–63
- Reign of Vologases I51–78
+ 3 events
Central and Northern Asia
- Kujula Kadphises founds the Kushan Empirebetween 20 and 50
- The Xiongnu split into Northern and Southern48
- The burials of Tillya Tepe (the Bactrian Gold)between 16 and 100
South Asia
- Gandharan art: the first images of the Buddhabetween 30 BC and AD 100
- Reign of Gondophares, founder of the Indo-Parthian kingdombetween 19 and 20 – c. 46
- Apostle Thomas in India (tradition)52 (?)
- Kushans conquer Gandhara and Taxilabetween 50 and 70
- Gautamiputra Satakarni defeats Nahapanabetween 71 and 130
+ 1 event
East Asia
- Liu Xiu restores the Han: the Eastern Han25
- Battle of Kunyangbetween June and July 23
- Red Eyebrows rebellion17–27
- Envoys of Na receive a gold seal from Emperor Guangwu57
- The Yellow River changes its course11
+ 3 events
Southeast Asia and Oceania
- Trưng sisters’ rebellionMarch 40 – 43
- Founding of Funan: Kaundinya and Queen Liuyebetween 1 and 100
- Óc Eo, the port of Funanbetween 1 and 100 – between 601 and 700
- Sa Huỳnh culturec. 1000 BC – c. 200
North America
- Hopewell traditionbetween 200 and 100 BC – c. 500
- Late Basketmaker II erac. 50 – c. 500
Latin America
- Monte Albán II: the Zapotec state expandsc. 100 BC – c. 200
- Rise of Teotihuacanc. 1 – c. 250
- Nazca culture and the Nazca Linesbetween 200 and 100 BC – between 500 and 800