Al-Maris
azhaguMaris(Arabic:المريس) was aMedievalArabicname forLower Nubia,the region of theNilearound the first and secondcataracts,includingAswan.Because most of the sources for Nubian history during the period are in Arabic, it is sometimes used interchangeably with theNubianregion ofNobadia.The northern section of al-Maris was part ofFatimidUpper Egyptand was semi-independent under theKanz ad-Dawlabetween 1046 and 1077 AD. The Kanz ad-Dawla Nasir invaded Nubia in 1066 but was repulsed and his territory raided.
The main towns wereAswan(GreekSyene) in Egypt andFaras(CopticBakharas, GreekPakhoras,ArabicBajrash) andFort Ibrim(CopticPhrim,GreekPrimis) in Nobadia.
The area was occupied bySaladin's brother,al-Malik al-Mu'azzam Shams ad-Dawla Turanshah(Turan-Shah) from 1172 to 1174, but theAyyubidswithdrew a few years later. Some parts were overrun by theBanu Kanzand others were held by the Christian kings atDotawo.It was nominally annexed toMamlukEgypt byBaybarsin 1276, but continued to be at least partially ruled by autonomous Christian kings atDotawountil its conquest bySennarin 1504.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- Geographic information on al-Maris
- Relations between Islamic Egypt and Christian Nubia: the Case of the Baqt,a paper byRichard Lobban
- Arkamani: Sudan Electronic Journal of Archaeology and Anthropology
- The Medieval Kingdoms of Nubia: Pagans, Christians and Muslims along the Middle Nile,byDerek Welsby