The kingdom of Kush
There are incredibly powerful women that I have only come to learn about when I moved to Nubia. These Nubian Queens continue to fascinate and intrigue me. Whilst the world became obsessed with the wonders of the pyramids and their contents, the thousands of stories of the individual lives of these black queens remain largely untold, untaught, censored and often biased. Learning about my ancestry was empowering and transformative. I’m also practically of the Kushite dynasty :) (Just kidding…).
Kandake was the royal title for queens and queen mothers of the ancient African Kingdom of Kush. ‘’The Kandakes” were also known as Nubian warrior queens, queen regents, and ruling queen mothers. They controlled what are now Ethiopia, Sudan, and parts of Egypt. Kandakes farmed, traded with Greeks and built the Pyramids, and some were warrior queens who led their armies into battle.
Queens Of Nubia: Amanirenas (40 BC–10 BC):
One of the great Queens of Nubia in Meroe’s history, her royal palace was at Gebel Barkal. The area of her rule was between the Nile and the Atbara rivers. The first in Sudan history to hold the title of Kandaka is Kandaka Amani Rinas, or (Amani Rina) who was the first First Queen. she was the wife of the Meroitic King Tretakas and succeeded him at the throne after his death.
She is one of the most famous Queens of Nubia, because of her role leading Kushite armies against the Romans in a war that lasted five years; from 27 BC to 22 BC.
Amanirenas is known as the queen with one eye, since her fierce military determination led her to lose it in battle (History of Royal Women). In addition to her known war tactics, she goes on to negotiate a treaty with the most powerful male ruler at the time, Augustus Caesar. She played a significant role in securing Kush for centuries after, since if it weren’t for her leadership, the kingdom would’ve died the moment Romans set their eyes on the land.
Shanakhdakheto (177 BC–155 BC)
She was the earliest known ruling African queen of ancient Nubia, She was a queen regent of the Kingdom of Kush, when the polity was centered at Meroe. She reigned from circa 170 to 150 BC. It is also stated that as queen she played a significant role in the Meroitic religion.
Amanishakheto (10 BC–1 BC):
She was one of the extremely wealthy and powerful Queens of Nubia. She assumed the Meroe throne after the death of “Amanirenas”. It was unknown if she was the sister or the second wife of King “Tritkas”, or if she was the daughter of “Amanirenas”. Amanishakheto was the most powerful and wealthiest among the Queens of Nubia.
She built considerable pyramids and temples at “Wad Naqaa”, where she was buried with great treasures. Her residence and several temples were based there. Her palace was one of the largest pyramids, which was built in 1833.
Inside Amanishakheto’s grave, the Italian treasure adventurer “Ferlini” discovered an amazing quantity of golden artifacts such as armlets, necklaces and some jewelry, which is now divided between the Egyptian Museum in Berlin and the Museum of Munich.
We use cookies to improve your experience and to help us understand how you use our site. Please refer to our cookie notice and privacy statement for more information regarding cookies and other third-party tracking that may be enabled.
Connect with us
Explore our social media channels
© 2022 Your brand name
