Soleb

Northern State (on the Nile), Sudan

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Soleb, in Sudan's Northern State on the Nile's west bank north of the third cataract, is an ancient Nubian town renowned for its well-preserved 18th Dynasty temple built by Pharaoh Amenhotep III around 1400 BCE and dedicated to Amun-Ra, later rededicated to the Aten under Akhenaten.

Constructed from local sandstone, the temple features a grand pylon gateway, sun court, hypostyle halls with 36 and 24 columns inscribed with conquest lists of over 150 foreign peoples including the "Shasu of Yahweh," peristyle courts, and a sanctuary showcasing the pharaoh's sed festival renewals amid Nubian motifs blending Egyptian and local deities.

Excavated from 1957-1990 by Michela Schiff Giorgini, the site reveals a multi-phase history with prehistoric graves, Kerma culture remains, New Kingdom necropolis for elite priests, Meroitic cemetery, royal game reserve, and fortifications, highlighting Egyptian imperial control over Nubian gold trade routes until the 11th century BCE.