Pharaohs of Two Lands. The King of Napata at the Louvre

Exactly 200 years ago, the French archeologist Jean-François Champollion deciphered, for the first time, hieroglyphics, the fascinating writing system which would pave the way to understanding Egyptian civilisation. For the anniversary of this discovery, the Louvre reveals the results of the excavations conducted in Sudan by its archeologists over the last ten years. In collaboration with the Royal Ontario Museum of Toronto, a large exhibition examines the Kingdom of the Kush Pharaohs who governed, for over half-a-century, a territory running from the Mediterranean to the confluence of the White Nile and the Blue Nile, around modern-day Khartoum. Originally from Nubia, in the VIII Century B.C., the armies of King Piye managed the difficult task of conquering Egypt, uniting two powerful ancient kingdoms and expanding the lands of the Pharaohs up to the legendary Gate of Africa. In the prestigious Hall of Napoleon, the epic of Piye and his successors are represented by a wealth of precious artefacts - gold pieces, statues, sarcophagi, bas-reliefs and rare papyrus, all narrating the prestige and prosperity of Egypt during the 25th Dynasty, reserving a place of honour for the potent Pharaoh Taharqa, hero of the lengthy conflict against the Assyrians.