Biʾr Abraq - Biʾr Abraq

Bir Abraq, Arabic:بئر أبرق, Is a major source in ʿElba sanctuary in the Arabian desert in Egypt. It was strategically well located on the former caravan route from Aswan to esch-Schalātīn or into the Ḥalāʾib triangle and led across the Wādī Naʿām and the Wādī Ḥōḍein. One of the largest settlements of the Ababda nomads is also located at the source.

The lively use of the route can be seen in the numerous rock carvings that have been made here by travelers at least since the ancient Egyptian Middle Kingdom. A fortress was built in Greek times to protect the spring and the Rpoute.

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Pharaonic inscriptions

Qalʿat Abraq

At a significant strategic point was 23.41530834.7991511 Qal'at Abraq(23 ° 24 '55 "N.34 ° 47 '57 "E.), ‏قلعة أبرق‎, „the Abraq fortress“, Built: namely on the southernmost trade route used in Ptolemaic times, at the beginning or end of several wadis. About 50 meters above the surrounding area, this fortress was built in Ptolemaic times on a flat plateau that slopes steeply on the sides. Their task was to protect the local spring, but also the trade routes. The massive fortress has a roughly square shape and is up to 160 meters long. It has two defensive walls. The outer one is up to 2 meters thick, once reached a height of four meters and had a tower on the southwest corner to guard the entrance to the fortress. Other smaller buildings were erected within the outer perimeter wall.

In the middle is the square citadel. Around a large courtyard, 28 rooms were arranged on the four sides.

The ascent is not that easy, it should never be. The ascent is possible z. B. from the west side. With good footwear you can get to the plateau like a serpentine. You may also have to climb over the former fortress walls.

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literature

• Animal graffiti:
  • Field, Henry: Rock Drawings from Upper Egypt. In:Man: the journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, ISSN0025-1496, Vol.55 (1955), Pp. 24-26.
  • Červíček, Pavel: Rock paintings of North Etbai, Upper Egypt and Lower Nubia. Wiesbaden: Steiner, 1974, Pp. 11–19, figs. 1–50, plate 1.

• Pharaonic inscriptions:
  • Bruyn, P. de: A graffito of the Scribe Dhuthotpe, reckoner of gold, in the south-eastern desert. In:The journal of Egyptian archeology (JEA), ISSN0075-4234, Vol.42 (1956), Pp. 121-122.
  • Bruyn, P. de: Falcon graffiti in the Eastern Desert. In:The journal of Egyptian archeology (JEA), ISSN0075-4234, Vol.44 (1958), Pp. 97-98, panel XIV.

• Abraq Fortress:
  • Sadr, Karim: A Ptolemaic fortress in the Eastern Desert of Egypt. In:Sahara: preistoria e storia del Sahara, ISSN1120-5679, Vol.4 (1991), Pp. 149-152.
  • Sadr, K.: Qal'eh Abraq: a Ptolemaic fortress in the eastern desert of Egypt. In:Contributions to Sudan research, ISSN1010-9072, Vol.5 (1992), Pp. 141-150.