The Kerma Museum is an archeological site museum located in front of the Western Deffufa on the archaeological site of

Kerma Kerma was the capital city of the Kerma culture, which was located in present-day Sudan at least 5,500 years ago. Kerma is one of the largest archaeological sites in ancient Nubia. It has produced decades of extensive excavations and research, i ...

, in the Northern State of Sudan. It opened in 2008 and contains many archaeological items removed from the

Kerma culture The Kerma culture or Kerma kingdom was an early civilization centered in Kerma, Sudan. It flourished from around 2500 BC to 1500 BC in ancient Nubia. The Kerma culture was based in the southern part of Nubia, or "Upper Nubia" (in parts of presen ...

, as well as a section focusing on the Christian and Islamic history of the region.

Architecture

The building of the museum is inspired by the traditional

Nubian vault In architecture, a Nubian vault is a type of curved surface forming a vaulted structure. The mudbrick structure was revived by Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy after re-discovering the technique in the Nubian village of Abu al-Riche. The technology ...

ed roof.

Displays

The museum contains artefacts of the main periods of the Kerma culture: Prehistory, Kingdoms of

Napata Napata (Old Egyptian ''Npt'', ''Npy''; Meroitic ''Napa''; grc, Νάπατα and Ναπάται) was a city of ancient Kush at the fourth cataract of the Nile. It is located approximately 1.5 kilometers from the right side of the river at the ...

and

Meroë Meroë (; also spelled ''Meroe''; Meroitic: or ; ar, مرواه, translit=Meruwah and ar, مروي, translit=Meruwi, label=none; grc, Μερόη, translit=Meróē) was an ancient city on the east bank of the Nile about 6 km north-east ...

. The highlight of the Kerma Museum are seven black granite statues uncovered in a ditch at the nearby site of Dukki Gel in 2003 by an archaeological team headed by Charles Bonnet. Deliberately broken, but in an excellent state of preservation, in the central room of the Museum are displayed the entirely reassembled statues portraying the Nubian Pharaohs

Taharqa Taharqa, also spelled Taharka or Taharqo ( Egyptian: 𓇿𓉔𓃭𓈎 ''tꜣ-h-rw-k'', Akkadian: ''Tar-qu-u2'', , Manetho's ''Tarakos'', Strabo's ''Tearco''), was a pharaoh of the Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt and qore (king) of the Kingdom of ...

, Tanwetamani,

Senkamanisken Senkamanisken was a Kushite King who ruled from 640 to 620 BC at Napata. He used royal titles based on those of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs. Biography He might have been married to queens Amanimalel and Nasalsa, the latter of whom bore ...

Anlamani Anlamani was a king of the Kingdom of Kush in Nubia, who ruled from 620 BC and died around 600 BC. Under his reign, Kush experienced a revival in its power. Anlamani was the son of Senkamanisken, his predecessor, and the elder brother of ...

, and

Aspelta Aspelta was a ruler of the kingdom of Kush (c. 600 – c. 580 BCE). More is known about him and his reign than most of the rulers of Kush. He left several stelae carved with accounts of his reign. Family Aspelta was the son of Senkamanisken a ...

, who ruled Egypt in the

25th Dynasty The Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt (notated Dynasty XXV, alternatively 25th Dynasty or Dynasty 25), also known as the Nubian Dynasty, the Kushite Empire, the Black Pharaohs, or the Napatans, after their capital Napata, was the last dynasty of t ...

. File:Rulers of Kush, Kerma Museum.jpg, Statues of various rulers of the late

–early

Napatan Napata (Old Egyptian ''Npt'', ''Npy''; Meroitic ''Napa''; grc, Νάπατα and Ναπάται) was a city of ancient Kush at the fourth cataract of the Nile. It is located approximately 1.5 kilometers from the right side of the river at the ...

period:

Tantamani Tantamani ( egy, tnwt-jmn, Neo-Assyrian: , grc, Τεμένθης ), also known as Tanutamun or Tanwetamani (d. 653 BC) was ruler of the Kingdom of Kush located in Northern Sudan, and the last pharaoh of the Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt. His p ...

(rear),

, again

(rear),

, again

. Kerma Museum. File:Pottery, Kerma Museum, Kerma, Sudan, North-east Africa.jpg, Pottery, Kerma Museum, Kerma, Sudan

References

{{Reflist Museums in Sudan Archaeological museums History of Nubia Kingdom of Kush Museums established in 2008 2008 establishments in Sudan Northern (state)