DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49271#0024
2
G. A. Reisner
II. Names of the cardinal points and orientation. Brevity and clarity in the descrip-
tion of the Nuri field require a special nomenclature for the cardinal points. The river
runs about southwest and the pyramids are orientated nearly at right angles to the river.
The difficulty of using the confusing terms southeastern, northwestern, etc., keenly felt
from the beginning, was increased by the curious usage of the names of the cardinal points
by the local workmen. As is well known, all the races along the Nile name the directions
from the local course of the river: "north” (bahn) is downstream; “south” (Jcubli) is
upstream; “east” (sherki) is to the right of the river; and “west” (gharbz) is to the left.
In this district where the Nile flows to the southwest, the southwest is called bahri; the
northeast, kubli; the northwest sherki; and the southeast, gharbi. The most intelligent
of the local inhabitants stoutly maintain that the sun rises in the “southwest” and sets
in the “northeast.” This way of naming the directions from the course of the stream can
be proved for most of the ancient periods in both Nubia and Egypt, and was without
doubt the way in which the directions were called by the builders of the Nuri pyramids.
At other sites, I have always given their local values to the terms designating the
directions in order to maintain the ancient point of view. Therefore, I have no hesita-
tion in doing the same at Nuri, where the departure from the meanings of the terms as
we understand them is so great. In order to call attention to the fact that the words
have no connection with the magnetic or astronomical directions, I enclose them in quota-
tion marks. Thus:—
“north” = the downstream direction, actually southwest.
“south” = the upstream direction, actually northeast,
“east” = to the right of the river, actually northwest,
“west” = to the left of the river, actually southeast.
Having adopted the local values for the names of the four directions, we reach the
surprising result that the pyramids of Napata (Nuri, Barkal, Tangassi, Zuma, and Kurru)
are orientated due “west,” or towards Amenty, the land of the dead. Just as in Egypt,
Amenty was beyond the left bank of the river.
This explanation of the orientation of the Napata pyramids does not seem at first
sight to apply to the pyramids of Meroe, which stand on the right bank of the river, there
flowing nearly north, and have their chapels turned towards the southeast or east. The
eastern orientation is, no doubt, towards the rising sun, but the southeastern orientation is,
I believe, inexplicable except as a tradition taken from Napata. During the four cen-
turies in which the royal tombs were being built at Nuri, it is possible that the original basis
of the orientation was forgotten, that the land of the dead became identified with the
quarter of the horizon to the right of the rising sun, and that thus when the royal cemetery
G. A. Reisner
II. Names of the cardinal points and orientation. Brevity and clarity in the descrip-
tion of the Nuri field require a special nomenclature for the cardinal points. The river
runs about southwest and the pyramids are orientated nearly at right angles to the river.
The difficulty of using the confusing terms southeastern, northwestern, etc., keenly felt
from the beginning, was increased by the curious usage of the names of the cardinal points
by the local workmen. As is well known, all the races along the Nile name the directions
from the local course of the river: "north” (bahn) is downstream; “south” (Jcubli) is
upstream; “east” (sherki) is to the right of the river; and “west” (gharbz) is to the left.
In this district where the Nile flows to the southwest, the southwest is called bahri; the
northeast, kubli; the northwest sherki; and the southeast, gharbi. The most intelligent
of the local inhabitants stoutly maintain that the sun rises in the “southwest” and sets
in the “northeast.” This way of naming the directions from the course of the stream can
be proved for most of the ancient periods in both Nubia and Egypt, and was without
doubt the way in which the directions were called by the builders of the Nuri pyramids.
At other sites, I have always given their local values to the terms designating the
directions in order to maintain the ancient point of view. Therefore, I have no hesita-
tion in doing the same at Nuri, where the departure from the meanings of the terms as
we understand them is so great. In order to call attention to the fact that the words
have no connection with the magnetic or astronomical directions, I enclose them in quota-
tion marks. Thus:—
“north” = the downstream direction, actually southwest.
“south” = the upstream direction, actually northeast,
“east” = to the right of the river, actually northwest,
“west” = to the left of the river, actually southeast.
Having adopted the local values for the names of the four directions, we reach the
surprising result that the pyramids of Napata (Nuri, Barkal, Tangassi, Zuma, and Kurru)
are orientated due “west,” or towards Amenty, the land of the dead. Just as in Egypt,
Amenty was beyond the left bank of the river.
This explanation of the orientation of the Napata pyramids does not seem at first
sight to apply to the pyramids of Meroe, which stand on the right bank of the river, there
flowing nearly north, and have their chapels turned towards the southeast or east. The
eastern orientation is, no doubt, towards the rising sun, but the southeastern orientation is,
I believe, inexplicable except as a tradition taken from Napata. During the four cen-
turies in which the royal tombs were being built at Nuri, it is possible that the original basis
of the orientation was forgotten, that the land of the dead became identified with the
quarter of the horizon to the right of the rising sun, and that thus when the royal cemetery