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The Kingdom of Kush was an ancient African civilization in Nubia, the region along the Nile between modern-day central Sudan and southern Egypt.

Kushite history is often divided into three major phases:

• Kerma (2600 –1520 BC) – The earliest centralized Nubian state, known for its unique architecture and burial traditions. 
• Napata (1000 – 300 BC) – A later kingdom shaped by strong cultural exchange with Ancient Egypt. 
• Meroë (300 BC– AD 300) – The final flourishing period, also heavily influenced by Egyptian customs. 

In the 8th century BC, King Piye invaded Egypt, founding the Twenty-Fifth Dynasty and uniting the Nile Valley from the Delta to Napata.

Kushite pharaohs restored major temples and monuments at Memphis, Karnak, Kawa, and Jebel Barkal, and reintroduced large-scale pyramid construction not seen since Egypt’s Middle Kingdom.

Kushite rule over Egypt lasted about a century before falling to Assyrian invasions, which installed the native ruler Psamtik I. Yet, the Kushite state endured for centuries more. By the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, wars with the Roman Empire weakened Kush, and by the mid-6th century AD, the kingdom had collapsed. 

The Nubian Pyramids Archaeologists have identified more than 255 pyramids built across four royal necropolises: El-Kurru, Nuri, Meroë, and Jebel Barkal (Gebel Barkal).

A further site at Sedeinga, with around 35 smaller pyramids, has also been uncovered. Unlike the royal burials of El-Kurru, Nuri, and Meroë, the Sedeinga pyramids were primarily constructed for wealthy citizens. 

These monuments stand as enduring symbols of the power and legacy of Kush, offering a unique chapter in the history of African and Nile Valley civilizations.