Statue of Pharaoh Taharki

Taharka is the king of the XXV dynasty, the "black pharaoh", who ruled in about 690-664 BC. The Taharka statue found in Dongola is one of the most valuable artifacts dating back to this period.

The pharaohs of the XXV dynasty were from Nubia, located in the territory of southern Egypt and modern Sudan. The Nubian pharaohs adopted elements of Egyptian culture. They built pyramids in Sudan despite the fact that pyramids had not been built in Egypt for more than 800 years. Taharka was the most prominent ruler of his dynasty.

No other statue depicting the pharaoh has been found further south than this Taharqa monument. The statue is truly monumental – it is carved of granite and weighs more than a ton. The height of the statue with its head was about 2.6 meters. In ancient times it was deliberately broken into pieces. Who and why did this is unknown. According to one hypothesis, this was the result of a dynastic struggle - the new rulers of Nubia did everything possible to destroy the memory of the reign of Taharka and his successors.

The nearest granite quarry is located at the third threshold - it is hundreds of kilometers up the Nile. The creation of the statue itself and the enormous efforts to transport it to Dongola serve as a visual demonstration of the power of Taharka, a symbol of royal power, indicating that Dongola was a significant city for the king.

Excavations are currently underway in Dongola.