Buhen

Buhen

Buhen was an ancient Egyptian settlement situated below the Second Cataract. It is well known for its fortress, probably constructed during the rule of Senusret III, around the year 1860 BC (12th dynasty). The site may have been first established as an outpost in Nubia during the reign of Sneferu (4th dynasty). 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 Egypt's 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 today has been covered by Lake Nasser created by the Aswan Dam in 1964. Before the site was covered with water, the site was excavated by a team led by Walter B. Emery.

Buhen also boasted a temple of Horus built by Hatshepsut, which was moved to Khartoum prior to the flooding of Lake Nasser.

External links

* [http://www.yare.org/essays/fortresses.htm article and map]


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  • Buhen — Buhen in Hieroglyphen …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Buhen — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Buhen …   Wikipedia Español

  • buhen — V. (Oberstufe) ugs.: durch laute Rufe seinem Missfallen Ausdruck geben Beispiel: Plötzlich begann das Publikum zu buhen und den Saal zu verlassen …   Extremes Deutsch

  • buhen — [Network (Rating 5600 9600)] Auch: • ausbuhen Bsp.: • Er wurde von der Bühne gebuht …   Deutsch Wörterbuch

  • buhen — bu|hen 〈V. intr.; hat; umg.〉 Buh! rufen (als Missfallenskundgebung) * * * bu|hen <sw. V.; hat (ugs.): durch Buhrufe sein Missfallen bekunden. * * * Buhen,   altägyptische Festungsanlage auf dem westlichen Nilufer am 2. Katarakt, im 20.… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Buhen —    Site in Nubia at the Second Cataract. The Egyptians had penetrated this far south during the Old Kingdom, where remains of copper smelting production have been found. Amajor fort was constructed in the Middle Kingdom as part of the Egyptian… …   Ancient Egypt

  • buhen — bu̲·hen; buhte, hat gebuht; [Vi] mehrmals ,,buh rufen (wenn einem etwas nicht gefällt) …   Langenscheidt Großwörterbuch Deutsch als Fremdsprache

  • buhen — buhenintr seinMißfallenäußern.⇨buh.1900ff …   Wörterbuch der deutschen Umgangssprache

  • buhen — bu|hen (umgangssprachlich für durch Buhrufe sein Missfallen ausdrücken) …   Die deutsche Rechtschreibung

  • Wawat — Mapa del Nilo. Entre la 1ª y la 2ª cataratas estaba Wawat, con la ciudad de Buhen en la segunda catarata. Wawat fue una región de Nubia desde donde los egipcios se aprovisionaban de madera, sobre todo ébano, transportándola por el río Nilo… …   Wikipedia Español

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