Saï

Ruins of the Ottoman fortress
The remains of the medieval cathedral, 1850s

Saï (Old Nubian: ⲍⲁⲏ, Zaē) is a large island in the Nile River in Nubia between the second and third cataracts, now part of Sudan. It is 7.5 miles (12 km) long and 3.4 miles (5.5 km) wide.

History

Saï was intermittently occupied by the Egyptians during the New Kingdom.[1] In the Makurian period it was the center of a bishopric, while in the second half of the 16th century the Ottomans founded a fortress on the island.

Ruins

The northeast portion of the island contains a New Kingdom of Egypt temple and numerous mills associated with ancient gold production. Nearby is an Ottoman Empire fort composed of sandstone quarried along the river banks, and spolia bearing the cartouche of Amenhotep IV, amongst other 18th Dynasty rulers. Numerous round tombs are close by.[2]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Budka, Julia (2017). Across Borders I: The New Kingdom Town of Sai Island, Sector SAV1 North. Austrian Academy of Sciences Press. ISBN 978-3-7001-8255-9.
  2. ↑ Klemm, Rosemarie; Klemm, Dietrich (2013). Gold and Gold Mining in Ancient Egypt and Nubia. Heidelberg: Springer. pp. 570–572. ISBN 9783642225079.

20°42′30″N 30°19′30″E / 20.7083333333°N 30.325°E / 20.7083333333; 30.325


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