Upper Nubia is the southernmost part ofNubia, upstream on theNile fromLower Nubia. It is so called because the Nile flows north, so it is further upstream and of higher elevation in relation to Lower Nubia.
The extension ofUpper Nubia is rather ill-defined and depends on the researchers’ approach.
Geographically speakingUpper Nubia designs the area between the Second and the Sixthcataracts of the Nile. Occasionally the termMiddle Nubia is used to design the area between the Second and the Third cataract; in this caseUpper Nubia begins at the Third cataract going upstream.[1]
Physiographic subdivisions of Upper Nubia alongside the Nile cataracts:[2]
| Area | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Batn-El-Hajar | Second cataract | Dal cataract |
| Abri-Delgo Reach | Dal cataract | Third cataract |
| Dongola Reach | Third cataract | Fourth cataract |
| Abu Hamed Reach | Fourth cataract | Fifth cataract |
To be defined | Fifth cataract | Confluence of Atbara and Nile rivers |
| Shendi Reach | Confluence ofAtbara River and Nile River | Sixth cataract |
Politically speakingUpper Nubia falls in present northern and centralSudan stretching from the Egyptian border south to present-dayKhartoum at the confluence ofWhite Nile andBlue Nile.[3]
Historically speakingUpper Nubia comprises the areas of influence of the Nubian part ofNew Kingdom Egypt or thekingdom of Kush orMeroe.[1] Connecting the Mediterranean world with inner Africa,Upper Nubia was crisscrossed by important trade routes and has been the cradle of diverse cultures.
| Civilization | Endurance from | Endurance to |
|---|---|---|
| Kerma culture | 2500 BCE | 1500 BCE |
| New Kingdom of Egypt | 1550 BCE | 1080 BCE |
| Kingdom of Kush | c. 800 BCE | 4th century CE |
| Christian Nubia (Makuria andAlodia) | 6th century AD | c. 1500 |
| Funj Sultanate | 1504 | 1821 |