Andrey Supranovich

Inusa Davuda talks about how the Northern German boxing champion picked up the saxophone, about his popularity in Russia and the World Cup in South Africa, for which he wrote an unofficial anthem, Inusa Davuda tells in an interview with Bolshoy Sport magazine.

Today, his incendiary rhythms confidently occupy the first lines of the music charts, literally filling the radio air and dance floors throughout Europe. It is all the more interesting to know that the author and performer of such hits as Digi Digi, Children of the night and Revolution, began to write music not so long ago, only after the end of his boxing career.
Inusa Davuda talks about how the Northern German boxing champion picked up the saxophone, about his popularity in Russia and the World Cup in South Africa, for which he wrote an unofficial anthem, Inusa Davuda tells in an interview with Bolshoi Sport magazine.

It is immediately obvious that you are a very cheerful and cheerful person. Why did you choose boxing as a child - a rather aggressive sport?

I started boxing quite late - only at the age of 15. Before that, he played football, table tennis, ran a lot - and all this was purely for fun. Once I was going to a ping-pong competition and told my friends about it, with whom I rented an apartment. They laughed at me: “You are so huge, but you chose a game for small ones, do better boxing.” So my friends persuaded me to try and dragged me to a boxing school at the police station. In Hamburg, ordinary people were also allowed in, not only representatives of law enforcement agencies. A month later, my coach said: “You are very talented, don’t lie to me - it’s like you used to box.” So after a couple of months I was ready to compete.

It is fundamentally wrong to count only the hits landed and give an advantage to one of the opponents only due to the greater number of successful hooks or uppercuts. A high-class boxer not only has a well-placed punch, he also moves superbly and defends himself perfectly. If I set the rules, I would definitely introduce a scoring system for other successful components of the battle - for example, for a strike block

And they have had good success. True, they soon took the initiative to change the rules in this sport. What do you dislike about modern boxing?

I think that the rules of boxing have not really changed since ancient times and today they are already outdated. It is fundamentally wrong to count only the hits landed and give an advantage to one of the opponents only due to the greater number of successful hooks or uppercuts. A high-class boxer not only has a well-placed punch, he also moves well and perfectly defends himself. If I set the rules, I would definitely introduce a scoring system for other successful components of the battle - for example, for a strike block.

Are you satisfied with the way your sports career has developed?

Oh sure. Boxing did a lot for my development, taught me calmness. It is generally accepted that boxers love to fight, so outside the ring they are also aggressive. But this is not so - I left all the negativity in fights.

You never went from amateur to professional. Why?

I had to train a lot and devote my whole life to boxing. And I'm too lazy for that. But even now, despite touring and constant employment, I try to find some time to go to the gym. I go to the same club I started in, I keep myself in shape, I help newcomers.

Sports and art can coexist. I was boxing and learning to play at the same time. And gradually the priorities shifted towards music. At school, I did not like music at all, there I had to sing in chorus, and my ears could not stand such a cacophony

When was the step from a sports career to a music career made?

I can not say that it was some kind of transition. Sports and art can coexist. I was boxing and learning to play at the same time. And gradually the priorities shifted towards music. At school, I did not like music at all, there I had to sing in chorus, and my ears could not stand such a cacophony.

Why did you choose the saxophone?

I was 17 when I heard some piece of music with an amazing saxophone solo. Then he promised himself to learn to play this instrument. I had a teacher who gave excellent lessons. I caught them on the fly, however, I did not set myself the goal of becoming a professional, rather, I did it for myself.

After playing music and boxing, did you have time to play or watch football?

There was, but not much. And this is not scary - I do not consider myself a big fan, I love only large-scale competitions like the World Cup. This year, the world championship was held in Africa for the first time, and this grandiose event was an additional incentive for me to write a cheerful unofficial anthem We want more.

What clubs and national teams do you support?

I live in Hamburg, so it's no wonder that I support the local club. Like and St. Pauli is my city's second team in the Bundesliga. As for the national teams, for obvious reasons, I root for Ghana and Germany. Yes, they clashed in South Africa at the group stage, and in that game I was worried about the Ghanaians - after all, my homeland. And if these teams met in the final, I would also root for Ghana - Germany already has so many titles, it would be nice if the Africans could also win. It's a pity we didn't get to the decisive round, but the quarter-final is also good.

Some hockey players say that hard rock is close to their sport in spirit. What musical styles do you associate with boxing and football?

Look at what kind of music boxers enter the ring to - it's different for everyone. So there is no single answer to this question: everyone chooses what they like. The same can be said about football.

I know that you are interested in motorsport. How strong is this hobby and how do you evaluate your performance in Tatarstan?

I am very glad that I was invited to Kazan and given the right to participate in local competitions. Had a great time. When I have a free minute, I try to watch competitions on TV, and not only moto, but also auto racing.

See "Formula 1"? Are there any favorites among teams and riders?

I can't single out anyone. I always worry about outsiders, I wish them success. It is not interesting when the same ones win, as in the days of Schumacher. Therefore, I really liked this season - there were many unexpected results, and the alignment in the standings kept me in suspense until the last day.

It is known that you pay a lot of attention to charity.

I have been taking part in various charitable projects for a long time, helping those in need, making donations to various organizations, including UNICEF and the Red Cross. In general, there are quite a few ways to give support, and it's not that difficult. I transfer money every year, I do not expect catastrophes similar to the earthquake in Haiti. I am also the face of a special program in Ukraine that helps drug addicts and alcoholics. I have already visited the clinic, talked with patients, tried to motivate them to fight the disease.

You made a special trip to Sterlitamak to congratulate Paralympic champion Irek Zaripov on his birthday. What prompted you to take this step?

Last February I was in Moscow and watched the Vancouver Olympics on TV. Watching the races of Irek, he could not help but admire. Almost at the same speed as ordinary skiers, he passed the 15-kilometer track on one hand! In the final of one of the races, I saw so much courage, will and determination in his face that I automatically reached for the phone and started looking for people who would help me meet him during my visit to Bashkiria. I just wanted to shake hands and express my deep respect for an outstanding athlete.

On the cover of your latest album is a picture of Che Guevara. That is, talking about “sports and music outside of politics” is not for you?

Oh, don't associate the cover with my political views. It was the designer's idea, not my wish. Once I was vacationing in Cuba and brought a portrait of Che from there, as many tourists do. Hung it in the hallway. When the designer was scratching his head over the cover, he saw the poster and decided to use it. Fortunately, the record has the song Revolution.

Your popularity in the territory of the former USSR is higher than anywhere else. Why do you think?

You know, there is such a wonderful phrase: if you really want something, it will definitely come true. At one time, I was very interested in the countries of the former USSR, I knew little about them and tried in every possible way to fill this gap. Maybe I thought about Russia so often that fate finally threw me to you, first making me popular. You are right, my songs are successful both in South America and in the Caribbean, but still not in the same way as in Russia. Perhaps they are close to you in spirit. I also met with a similar attitude in Turkey, but there are also many Russians there! There was another interesting story in Egypt. I caught a taxi in Sharm el-Sheikh and my song was playing on the radio. The taxi driver was very surprised to learn that it was mine - he quite seriously believed that one of the Russians performed it! I guess I'm a real Russian person at heart.

Nubian dynasty of "black pharaohs"

Chaos, characteristic of the III transitional period, contributed to the rupture of relations between Egypt and Nubia. The Nubians, impressed by Egyptian culture, founded the XXV dynasty, called the dynasty of the "black pharaohs". These rulers fought the Assyrians and repeatedly tried to take control of all of Egypt.

For the Egyptian pharaohs, Nubia, located on the southern border of the empire, has always been a tasty morsel. They organized expeditions to the lands of the Upper Nile and to the country of Kush, and long caravans brought unprecedented treasures from there to Ancient Egypt. However, despite the trade relations established between the two countries, this peace was very fragile. The semi-nomadic and warlike peoples that were part of the Nubian and Kushite tribes made it very unsafe for the Egyptian caravans that went north, loaded with gold, precious stones, incense and all kinds of curiosities. All these treasures increased the glory of the rulers and were the subject of envy and claims for the high society of Ancient Egypt.

Nubia - a threat from the rear

Restless and always ready to challenge its powerful neighbor, Nubia once even made an alliance with the Hyksos conquerors when they invaded the Nile Valley (1650-1539 BC), becoming a serious threat to Egypt from the rear. Thebes found themselves in the very center of fierce resistance to these invaders.

Ahmose, the young Theban prince who led this resistance, managed to drive the Hyksos out of his land, after which he proclaimed himself the pharaoh of Egypt. Having dealt with the northern threat, the victor turned his troops south, determined to make the Nubians regret their treacherous act.

It wasn't long before Ahmose's successor, Pharaoh Amenhotep I, launched a military campaign against Nubia. The first thing he took care of was the construction of a number of fortresses along the Nile valley, which were supposed to protect the borders and provide security on the caravan routes.

The conquest of the south continued during the reign of Thutmose I, who expanded the boundaries of his empire, annexing the lands beyond the Third Nile threshold to the gates of the city of Kerma, the capital of the kingdom of Kush, which the Nubians left to the enemy, having founded a new capital even further south - in Napata. After the peaceful reign of Queen Hatshepsut, her successor Thutmose III, who set his sights on the gold mines of Upper Nubia, finally annexed the territories of the kingdom of Kush along with its new capital, spreading Egyptian influence up to the city of Kurgus.

Throughout the New Kingdom, Nubia remained under Egyptian rule; it was ruled by the king-viceroy - the representative of the pharaoh. The influence of Egypt during this period was so great that most of the population of Nubia adopted its culture and hieroglyphic writing and began to worship the deities of the Wicked Thebes. Nevertheless, in the very center of this vast region there remained an area that refused to submit to the Egyptians and repeatedly forced them to take the most severe measures.

Miraculously surviving statues

Most recently, after ten years of searching, Egyptologists from the French National Center for Scientific Research and the University of Geneva discovered seven granite statues in excellent preservation. The statues, resting for more than two and a half thousand years in the cache of the Sudanese temple of Kerma, depict seven Nubian rulers from the XXV dynasty, who ruled ancient Egypt from about 750 to 660 BC. e. These sculptures, completely undamaged, miraculously escaped destruction when Pharaoh Psammetich II, who conquered the kingdom of Kush, ordered the destruction of all references to the Nubian dynasty.

Napata - the capital of the Kingdom of Kush

The decline of Ramesses' Egypt was the first harbinger of the end of the New Kingdom; thus the country slowly plunged into the twilight of the third transitional period. Egypt then lost its hard-won southern province, which again became the independent kingdom of Kush, with Napata as its capital. However, this separation did not entail the rejection of Egyptian culture. For example, the cult of Amun continued to go to the sanctuary of Jebel Barkal, the most important religious center of the country, as well as to the temples of Sedeinga and Soleb. Kushite princes, fully integrated into Egyptian society during the reign of the pharaohs, raised their heads and moved to conquer a torn Egypt, which was almost entirely dominated by the Assyrian invaders.

The first Nubian ruler from the XXV dynasty - which would later be called the dynasty of the "black pharaohs" - was called Alara, but, unfortunately, little is known about him. Much more can we tell about his brother, Pharaoh Kasht, who succeeded him around 760 BC. e. and made it his goal to liberate Lower Nubia, which at that time still belonged to Egypt. However, apparently, "subversive activities" against Egypt had been carried out for a long time, and by the year of Kashta's accession, the Nubians had already advanced quite far north, to Elephantine itself.

Pianha's strange politics

Pharaoh Piankhi, son of Kashta, ascended the Egyptian throne around 747 BC. e. He was in power for thirty years, continuing the work of his predecessors, and over the years managed to push the border even further north. Lord of Thebes and all of Upper Egypt, Piankhi took advantage of the chaos in another part of the country to begin his conquest, moving from the south.

Gradually, the Faiyum and Middle Egypt came under his control. Memphis fell. Following the others, Delta also surrendered. And so Piankhi became the ruler of the whole country. However, instead of enjoying his triumph, the victor returned to his distant capital, Napata...

Pharaoh considered his act wise and far-sighted. He did not want to seem too cruel and self-confident to his opponents, knowing full well: even if they are now silent and submissive, there is no doubt that at the first opportunity they will rise up against him without hesitation.

Indeed, although Thebes recognized the authority of Nubia, the north of the country continued to resist. Tefnakht, king of Sais, proclaimed himself the founder of the XXIV dynasty and became pharaoh around 720. His business was continued by his son and heir Bokhoris. Meanwhile, Pianhi died in Nubia. After him, his brother Shabaka came to power. He went to Memphis to be crowned there, and in 716 regained control of Egypt. He intended to overthrow Bokhoris, but he was prevented by the Assyrians who approached the borders. Moreover, they forced Shabaka to retreat, and in the end he made peace with his opponent. This did not prevent the Nubians from seizing religious power. The great priest of Amon in Thebes was Shabataka, none other than Shabaka's own son.

Pharaoh Shabaka died in 701 BC. e., leaving the throne to his son, who ruled Egypt, inspired by the example of the Ramesses and paying great attention to foreign policy.

When uprisings began in Palestine against the Assyrian conquerors, Shabataka decided to send his troops there, the command of which he entrusted to Taharqa. In 701 BC. e. he entered the battle of Lachish and emerged victorious from it. But the Assyrian counterattack took him by surprise and forced him to retreat. Memphis was in the hands of the enemy. The Assyrian king Ashurbanipal appointed his ally, King Sais, as governor of Egypt, who became pharaoh Nakao I.

Necropolises of the "black pharaohs"

Most of the "black pharaohs" rested in the Nuri necropolis, but their tombs were very badly damaged. Another large necropolis is located in Meroe; the ruins of an ancient city were also found here. In addition, Jebel Barkal and El Kurru are also considered royal necropolises. The first one became sacred during the 18th dynasty, since here was the abode of Amon. A large temple was dedicated to his cult, not far from which the Kushite king Natakamani erected a palace for himself. El Kurru is a large necropolis used from 700 to 300 BC. e. During this period, members of the royal family were buried here.

Taharka - the famous "black pharaoh"

Taharqa, without a doubt, can be considered the most famous representative of the dynasty of the Nubian pharaohs. Legend has it that he saved Egypt from famine by praying to the Karnakian Amun-Ra, who heeded this call and performed a miracle, causing the Nile to flood. His foreign policy course can be considered quite successful: although Taharqa failed to finally defeat the Assyrians, he prevented their powerful army from capturing Nubia. By the way, despite the bitter defeats that the vastly superior Assyrian troops inflicted on him, forcing him to retreat all the way to Napata, the pharaoh never gave up hope of regaining control over the entire Egyptian kingdom. These ambitions, which only death could put an end to, Taharqa passed on to his son Tantuamun, who inherited his throne. He continued the struggle begun by his predecessors and organized a military campaign against the Saites, a people who had made an alliance with the Assyrians. A battle took place in which the Saisian pharaoh Nakao I was killed. As a result of this, Egypt was again in the power of the Nubians, which infuriated Ashurbanipal. He intervened, showing all the power that his army was capable of, and Tantuamon did not hold out. The Nubian hastily returned to Napata.

Meanwhile, in the north, the crown of the pharaoh went to Psammetikh, the son of Nakao I. He decided to get rid of all rivals, not only Nubian, but also Assyrian, whom he finally drove out in 653 BC. e. However, by that time, Tantuamon, the last "black pharaoh" of the XXV dynasty, had already been dead for three years.

"Black pharaohs" from the XXV dynasty

Their predecessors were two lords who ruled Lower Nubia, but were not related to the XXV dynasty: Alara, who reigned in 780-760. BC e., and Kashta, who ruled in 760-747. BC e.

After them, from 747 to 656, the following pharaohs ruled: Piankhi (747-716), Shabaka (716-701), Shabataka (701-689), Taharqa (689-663) and Tantamani (663-650).

The first "black pharaoh" of Egypt was Piankhi (751 - 716 BC). He conquered the Libyan principalities in northern Egypt and united the entire country under his rule.

The Nubian (Ethiopian) dynasty began with him. What drove Piankhi forward? What gave him - a petty ruler - the strength to conquer a great country? Gebel-Barkal, a lonely table mountain, standing one and a half kilometers from the Nile. It hung directly over the city of Napata, which lay between the third and fourth thresholds, like a shield brought by the gods to protect the capital. The southern slope of this notable mountain is especially striking: it resembles a cobra that has risen up and opened its hood.

From time immemorial Gebel-Barkal was considered a sacred mountain. Here, according to the beliefs of the Nubians, lived a ram-headed god, whose name has not come down to us. When Nubia became a colony of Egypt, the invaders settled here their supreme god - Amon. To strengthen their power in Nubia, they even declared that Mount Gebel Barkal was the ancestral home of the Egyptians and the birthplace of Amon.

Subsequently, this relatively late myth formed the basis of the ideology of the Napat-Nubian kings, became their “label” for ruling all of Egypt! Was it just a cynical calculation? Probably not. The "Black Pharaohs" were carried away by a peculiar dream of a "golden age"; they believed that in time immemorial a great sacred state lay in the Nile Valley (it should have been called, echoing the later cultural and ideological traditions, “Holy Egypt”). Even if the connecting thread of times is torn and the world has long been shaken, they - the kings of Napata - are called upon to restore the order that had collapsed, to connect the past and the future. When they invaded a country fragmented into small principalities, they only undertook to glue the fragments of the sacred "vessel", which should be filled with the lives of grateful subjects. Not to take revenge, the black king Piankhi led troops to Egypt, but to restore the glorious past. So he was crowned, like the "son of God." The two snakes that adorned his head symbolized the reunification of the country of Amon.

However, Piankhi, from whom the history of the "black" dynasty begins, was still wary of calling himself a "pharaoh"; he preferred to be just... a "great king". He was often in Egypt, but ruled over his vast empire while remaining in Nubia. What is known about this man who managed to restore unity to Egypt?

Pharaoh Piankhi loved horses and kept an extensive harem. (How everything turned upside down! Now the main wife of the pharaoh was a Nubian; the concubines were arrogant Egyptians.) Piankhi was a God-loving man; he not only ruled the country, but also performed the duties of a priest. Therefore, people who came to his palace performed a complex ritual of purification, which was practiced in temples, before meeting with him. However, his piety did not at all prevent him from sometimes dictating his will to the gods. In Thebes, he forced the priestess who ruled there, "betrothed to a god", to name his own daughter as her successor. From now on, his family will rule not only the land of Egypt, but also its heavens, embodying the will of the gods.

In the inscriptions left at the will of Piankha, he was called a merciful king, always fair in his deeds and even in war, not knowing deceit. Thus, it was reported that Piankhi did not attack enemies at night, did not take them by surprise and went to war with them, only declaring his intention. If the enemy begged for a respite, he received it. “Do not attack at night, like players, but fight when you can see... Do not boast of excessive strength. The mighty one has no strength without his [Amon] knowledge” (translated by I. S. Katsnelson), - the famous Piankhi stele, found in 1862 in the temple of Amon in Napata, is full of similar maxims.

Speaking about the deeds committed, the chronicler does not list the number of enemies killed, but convinces: “Look at the nomes of the south: not a single person was killed there, except for enemies who spoke evil against God, who were executed as criminals ... [Population] of Memphis will be in safety and health. Children will not cry. However, he was hardly as good as his reputation, sung by an unknown court chronicler. Even in other lines of the same panegyric it is said about Piankhi: “And now his majesty was furious because of this, like a panther”, “And now his majesty came out to scold his army, being furious with him, like a panther”, etc. The children of Memphis had to shed not crocodile tears at all: "There were many people killed in it [in the city]." As, however, - brief cunning of speech - the same thing happened in the nomes of the south, where "great piles of corpses were piled up."

And here is the great happy ending: "The two lands [Egypt] are united behind him, and the princes and rulers of the fortresses are like dogs at his feet." And the tears of the children of Memphis? The blood of city people? Piankhi "cleansed Memphis with soda and spices." The story continues. Listening to victorious reports, there is no need to mourn. “O mighty, mighty ruler of Piankhi! O mighty ruler, you came, having mastered the Northern country ... You will be until eternity, your power is strong, O ruler, beloved by Thebes.

Piety Time

A pyramid was built over the tomb of Piankha, although they had not been built in Egypt for a thousand years. This is how the enthusiastic disciples honored the memory of the man who conquered the country of their ancient teachers.

After the death of Piankha, the Nubian dynasty reigned in Egypt for almost half a century. True, the next king - Sha-baka (716 - 701 BC) - again had to conquer Egypt. But from now on, Shabaka, like his successors - Sha-bataka (701-689 BC), Taharka (689-663 BC), Tanutamon (663-656 BC) .) - ruled from Memphis.

After centuries of decline, Egypt experienced prosperity again for several decades. The black "usurpers" of the throne, guardians of the faith of Amun, restored the ancient, "genuine" order in the country. Their intentions betrayed even the throne names and titles adopted by these rulers, King of Shabak long forgotten in Egypt.

The alien pharaohs, who wholeheartedly accepted faith in Amon and loved Egyptian antiquity, repaired and rebuilt temples throughout the country. Inculcating ancient piety, they restored the holidays that existed in the old days. Again they tried to bring into use the long-forgotten hieroglyphic writing of the times of the Old Kingdom. They strengthened the government of the country, and were smart enough to appoint not only Nubians, but also Egyptians to the most important posts.

Art flourished again. Artists and sculptors, following the classical canons, respectfully portrayed the Nubian rulers, because by their deeds they are worthy of earthly beauty. Architects erected monuments worthy of bygone times. So, in the main temple of Amun, a colonnade was built from two rows of pillars, six in each; the height of each column is 21 meters. On the walls of the tombs, they even placed images copied from the tombs of the Old Kingdom.

Science also experienced an undoubted flourishing, but in view of the almost complete loss of manuscripts from the time of the Nubian dynasty, we know little about the achievements of that era. Only indirect facts betray the greatness of late Egyptian wisdom. So, about 600 BC, half a century after the fall of the Nubian dynasty, one of the Greek “wise men” Solon came to Egypt to learn things unknown to the Greeks. Some scientists (for example, the prominent Russian mathematician V. I. Arnold) believe that all the discoveries and ideas of the ancient Greek scientists of the preclassical era, in fact, were “stolen from the Egyptians and retold by the Greeks.”

“Of course, there were at that time “racists” who could not come to terms with the fact that now they had to bow their heads to black pharaohs,” writes Sylvia Schoske, “however, most Egyptians were satisfied with a peaceful life and did not think about what color the skin of their ruler." After all, peace was established in the country after long troubles. In these "full years" they did not know either famine or drought. This idyll was crowned by the reign of Pharaoh Taharka.

This ruler was marked by a special favor of the gods. And fertility - a sign of their will - was granted to Egypt. And there was Pharaoh Taharqa, a brilliant commander and lover of the arts, at the pinnacle of power. Truly blessed by the gods was the pharaoh, the son of the divine Amon-Ra. And his country prospered, both his countries. It was 683 BC. “The sixth year under the Majesty of Horus, who raised the crown ... His Majesty was the sovereign, young, severe, exceptionally courageous, powerful king, who has no equal ... His name went around all the lands and foreign countries with the help of the power of his mighty hand” (translation E. E. Kormysheva), says the inscription on the stele found during excavations in 1934.

What has been achieved cannot be surpassed. From now on, greatness is destined only to heel, the sublime - to collapse. Already foreign forces are preparing to go around all the lands of Egypt and shake all its foundations. The kingdom is already ready to crumble, the fragments of which will be collected by foreign conquerors for a long time to come: Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Turks

It would seem that everyone remembers the map of Africa, but still one of its largest countries, one of its oldest countries for us, that is a blank spot. This is Sudan. Thousands of years of its history - the history of Nubia, Kush, Meroe, the mysterious kingdoms that existed in ancient times on the territory of Sudan - will not even flicker in memory. This country lived its intense life: it fought with Egypt, was its provincial province, and even, in the end, conquered the great empire of the pharaohs. But its true triumph is unknown to us than the fictional Atlantis. This country, Nubia, Kush, Meroe, sank not in the ocean, but in our unconsciousness. Let's try to make a trip to this power, forgotten more firmly than anything that was and has not been on earth - to the power that gave great Egypt the Nubian pharaohs (the Greeks called them "Ethiopian").

The dynasty of the Nubian pharaohs is the twenty-fifth in a row. To this day, it is one of the most mysterious dynasties that ruled Egypt. After all, the "barbarians", "Varangians" - the inhabitants of the semi-wild neighboring land - came to power in the country; even outwardly they differed sharply from the Egyptians. They were black Africans.

For centuries, the Egyptians despised their southern neighbors, the Nubians, "those people with pigtails, dressed in animal skins, these curly strangers with burnt faces." Even war with them seemed like a cakewalk. However, the vicissitudes of fate did not spare the country of the pyramids either. Once upon a time, those who had recently been looked down upon only entered the pinnacle of power. So, for the first time in a Mediterranean country, representatives of the Negroid race came to power. During the years of their reign - in the VIII-VII centuries BC - the culture of Egypt flourished for the last time. Soon the country was under the rule of the Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Turks.

Your blood, Nubia! Strength is yours, Egypt!

Archaeological exploration of Sudan, the homeland of the black pharaohs, is just beginning. Only in the last half century systematic excavations have been carried out there. “For a long time we followed the lead of the ancient Egyptians and, following them, treated their southern neighbors with disdain,” notes the German historian Sylvia Schoske. And it was not clear why, having seized power in Egypt, the Nubians ruled the country so confidently, as if they had centuries-old traditions of state government behind them?

To explain this phenomenon, let's go back a few centuries. In the second year of the reign of Pharaoh Thutmose I (1528-1515 BC), on the fifteenth day of the second month of the season of Akhet - the “flood season”, a bloody battle broke out far to the south. Here is what a contemporary wrote: “And on the plains lay Nubian archers who fell in battle. With their entrails the king filled the valleys of Nubia. Their blood gushed out. Birds of prey took away parts of their bodies, and the crocodile rushed at the fleeing ones.

As often happened in the long history of relations between the two neighboring countries - Nubia and Egypt - the power of the pharaohs decisively prevailed over the Ethiopians, extending its power to their ancestral lands. Thutmose I, ruler of the XVIII dynasty, was one of the creators of the "world" Egyptian power, stretching from Nubia to Syria. By this time, the army of the pharaohs had unprecedented power: chariots, chopping swords (and not just stabbing, as before), puff bows of great penetrating power, from which arrows with copper tips were fired at the enemy.

Thutmose moved his troops far beyond the first Nile threshold (the region of modern Aswan), where, according to tradition, the border between the two countries ran. Having passed three Nile rapids, he still "raged against them [the Nubians] like a panther." The inscription left on the walls of the tomb of his admiral Ahmose says about the end of the war: “His Majesty sailed down the Nile, having all foreign countries in his fist and that vile nomad Kushite (the Egyptians called the Nubians Kushites. - A.V.) hanging upside down on the prow of His Majesty’s royal vessel” (translated by Yu. Ya. Perepelkin). The southern land was conquered. In an inscription carved on the orders of the pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt was declared the ruler of the universe.

However, already in the short reign of his son, Thutmose II, “the miserable country of Kush was inclined to rebellion; those who were under the rule of the lord of both lands thought of revolt, ”according to an inscription found in Aswan. Then “the army arrived at the miserable Kush; it brought down those enemies; none of them was left alive, according to the command of his majesty, except for one of the sons of the king of Kush, who, as a prisoner, was taken to the residence of his majesty and laid at his feet. However, this massacre did not break the country.

Punitive campaigns and predatory raids, occupation and colonization - this is the bitter lot of the Nubian land. The country of the pharaohs flourished, famous for sciences and arts; the country of the Nubians languished, famous for its gold and slaves. The lush flower of Egypt is fertilized by your blood, Nubia. For centuries, the Egyptians tried to conquer Nubia. Huge fortresses and temples were erected here. Alien weapons aimed at the Nubians; foreign gods stood over them; foreign governors pushed them around. The pharaohs organized the rule of Nubia in the same way as their own country. Tribal leaders were settled in the Egyptian garrisons, and their children were often kept at the court of the pharaohs in order to give them a real Egyptian education. So dark-skinned Nubians comprehended the art of governing the state. Their country was flooded with strangers - warriors, officials, priests and artisans who mastered the miserable colony of Kush.

However, Nubia was still a thorn in the body of Egypt. Every now and then the wound inflamed. Out of the spark of malice, rebellions broke out. Murder and intrigue - this is the coin that the "dark-faced Ethiopians" paid for the "good" of the Egyptians - for their power, power and arrogance.

And then the teachers fled from the country they had taken as a teaching, just as Europeans fled thousands of years later from their African and Asian students. The priests fled, “who did not do a vile thing before the gods and did not deplete supplies in the temples.” Officials fled, "who did not order to kill and did not cause suffering to anyone." Scribes fled, “who did not build pyramids of copper and tombstones of bronze.” The soldiers fled, swearing on the move: “Oh, Useh-nemtut, who is in Heliopolis, I did no harm!” And behind them the cities they built were burning. And at their feet the walls of demolished temples fell. And high above them darkened - erased by the sands of the desert - inscriptions carved on stone by someone: “The miserable country of Kush was trampled by me ...” And who knows. And what is this country?