Bir al Hokoma

Naga was an important trade center of the Meroe kingdom as it sits in a location on many trade routes. What remains today are 2 temples from that period. One is dedicated to the Lion god the other to Amun-Ra. The lion god is an African indigenous god who was the center of the worship life of the bulk of the population. Amun-Ra was the god of the elites.
What is especially important here is the many cultural influences evident in the temples reflecting the many cultures that mixed here for trade. For example, one representation of the lion god at the lion temple in the first 3 pictures has 4 arms, reminiscent of India. The 1st picture is of the front building which has Roman design elements. The 2nd picture is the front of the temple, an Egyptian ate pylon with lions guarding the door. The 3rd picture inside the temple, even though it's hard to see, has a representation of Zeus, a Greek god.
The Amun-Ra temple in the the rest of the pictures is approached through a ceremonial way bordered by sphinxes shown in the 4th picture. In this case the statues are rams which is the animal representation of Amun-Ra in Nubia. The 5th picture is one of the exterior walls showing both Egyptian and Nubian gods together with the king and queen. The last picture is part of a pylon with a carving of a serpent coming out of a lotus, and it has a lion head. This is a representation of the joining of the 2 kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt.Read more