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Top Attractions in Wadi Halfa

Buhen

Buhen was an ancient Egyptian settlement situated on the West bank of the Nile below the Second Cataract. It is well known for its fortress, probably constructed during the rule of Senusret III in around 1860 BC . The site may have been first established as an outpost in Nubia during the reign of Sneferu . Graffiti and other inscribed items from the site show that the Egyptians stayed about 200 years, until late in the 5th dynasty, when they were probably forced out by immigration from the south. Senusret III conducted four campaigns into Kush and established a line of forts within signalling distance of one another; Buhen was the northernmost of these. The other forts along the banks were Mirgissa, Shalfak, Uronarti, Askut, Dabenarti, Semna, and Kumma. The Kushites captured Buhen during the 13th dynasty, and held it until Ahmose I recaptured it at the beginning of the 18th dynasty. It was stormed and recaptured by indigenous forces at the end of Egypts 20th dynasty. The fortress itself extended more than 150 metres along the West bank of the Nile. It covered 13,000 square metres, and had within its wall a small town laid out in a grid system. At its peak it probably had a population of around 3500 people. The fortress also included the administration for the whole fortified region of the Second Cataract. Its fortifications included a moat three metres deep, drawbridges, bastions, buttresses, ramparts, battlements, loopholes, and a catapult. The walls of the fort were about five metres thick and ten metres high. The fortress at Buhen is now submerged under Lake Nasser as a result of the construction of the Aswan Dam in 1964. Before the site was covered with water, it was excavated by a team led by Walter Bryan Emery. Buhen also boasted a temple of Horus built by Hatshepsut, which was moved to Khartoum prior to the flooding of Lake Nasser.

Semna

Located in the present day Republic of Sudan, ancient Nubia is a region along the Nile River between Aswan in the north and Khartoum in the south where Nubian languages were spoken.This region is marked by six cataracts, or rocky outcroppings, which produce shallow rapids in the Nile . Analogous to its northern Egyptian neighbor, ancient Nubia was divided into Upper and Lower Nubia; Lower Nubia was between the first and second cataracts and Upper Nubia was between the second and sixth cataracts . The region of Semna is 15 miles south of Wadi Halfa and is situated where rocks cross the Nile narrowing its flow—the Semna Cataract (Arriaza, Merbs, & Rothschild, 1993; Vercoutter, 1966). Semna was a fortified area established in the reign of Senusret I on the west bank of the Nile at the southern end of a series of Middle Kingdom fortresses founded during the 12th Dynasty in the Second-Cataract area of Lower Nubia. There are three forts at Semna: Semna West (Semna Gharb), Semna East (Semna Sherq, also called Kummeh or Kumma), and Semna South (Reisner, 1929). The forts to the east and west of the Semna Cataract are Semna East and West, respectively; Semna South is approximately one kilometer south of Semna West on the west bank of the Nile (Reisner, 1929; Vercoutter, 1966, p. 125). The Semna gorge, at the southern edge of ancient Egypt, was the narrowest part of the Nile valley. It was here, at this strategic location, that the 12th Dynasty pharaohs built a cluster of four mud-brick fortresses: Semna, Kumma, Semna South and Uronarti — all covered by the waters of Lake Nasser since the completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1971.

Kulubnarti

Kulubnarti is a 1 mile long island in Northern Sudan. Situated in the Nile, about 100 miles south of the Egyptian border, it is part of the village of Kulb. Until the fifteenth century, this was a remote area. It was the last known refuge for Christians in Nubia, while Islam spread to the south. It has been inhabited since the time of the Christian kingdom of Makuria, approximately 1100 AD. Though continuously inhabited from the eleventh century to modern times, it is the only Nubian location which has demonstrated through archaeologically investigation a continuous occupation from the Middle Ages to modern history. Kulubnarti has archaeological and anthropological significance because it has been subjected to one of the only systematic excavations of any site along the southern portion of the Nile. The primary motivation for excavation at Kulubnarti was to increase awareness and understanding of the cultural transition from Christianity to Islam in ancient Nubia. Nubia converted to Christianity by the late 6th century and Christianity prevailed as the dominant religion of the region until the 14th century when Moslems gained control of territory south of the 3rd Cataract. Christianity however, persisted into the 15th century in many regions lying north of the 3rd Cataract, including Kulubnarti. Prior to the archaeological study of Kulubnarti, this cultural transition was almost completely unknown archaeologically and only a few historical references were in existence.

Uronarti

Uronarti was an ancient Egyptian settlement located on an island in the Nile above the Second Cataract. It is well known for its triangular-shaped fortress, constructed between the reigns of Middle Kingdom rulers Senusret I and Senusret III, in the nineteenth century BCE. The site was one of several established in Nubia during this period as Egyptians sought to expand their influence to the south. It is documented that Senusret III conducted four military campaigns into Kush and established a line of forts within signalling distance of one another; Buhen being the northernmost and the others along the banks of the Nile were Mirgissa, Shalfak, Uronarti, Askut, Dabenarti, Semna, and Kumma. The Kushites captured Buhen during the 13th dynasty, and held it until Ahmose I recaptured it at the beginning of the 18th dynasty. It was stormed and recaptured by indigenous forces at the end of Egypt's 20th dynasty. The triangular shaped fortress located on an island took advantage of the narrow passage of the Nile between the walls of a canyon. Amongst the series of protective fortresses, Uronarti was the second only to Askut as the smallest. Its fortifications included bastions, buttresses, ramparts, battlements, and loopholes. The walls of the fort were about five metres thick and ten metres high, with a length of approximately 120 metres and width of 60 metres. The literature speculates that the imposing fortresses constructed during this period exceeded the military requirement and may be considered a form of monumental architecture in the manner of the Giza pyramids or temple of Karnak. The fortress was excavated by George Reisner and the site has not been submerged by Lake Nasser created by the Aswan Dam in 1964. Temples dedicated to Dedwen and Montu were located near the site.
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