Taharqa: The Kushite Pharaoh Who Ruled Two Lands
A Black African king from Nubia who ruled both Kush and Egypt, built monuments the length of the Nile, and even appears in the Bible, the story of the pharaoh Taharqa.
Among the Black pharaohs of the 25th Dynasty, one name stands out: Taharqa, a Kushite king from Nubia who ruled an empire stretching from deep in Africa to the Mediterranean, and left his mark from Sudan to Karnak.
From Kush to the throne of Egypt
In the 8th century BC, kings from the Nubian Kingdom of Kush conquered a divided Egypt and ruled it as pharaohs. Taharqa, who reigned in the 7th century BC, was the greatest of them, presiding over a cultural revival and a vast building programme up and down the Nile.
A builder and a name in the Bible
Taharqa raised temples and monuments across both his lands, including additions at mighty Karnak. He appears in the Hebrew Bible as Tirhakah, a rare moment where a Black African pharaoh steps directly into the wider historical record.
Why his story matters
Taharqa is proof, carved in stone, that Black African kings ruled Egypt at its own game. For heritage travelers, learning his story in the temples he touched is exactly the kind of connection that makes an Egypt trip profound. Learn more about the Black pharaohs.
Walk the monuments of the Black pharaohs.
See our Kemet & Nubia journeyFrequently Asked Questions
Who was Taharqa?
Taharqa was a Kushite (Nubian) king of Egypt's 25th Dynasty in the 7th century BC, one of the Black pharaohs, who ruled both Kush and Egypt and built monuments across the Nile.
Is Taharqa in the Bible?
Yes. He appears in the Hebrew Bible as Tirhakah, one of the rare moments a Black African pharaoh enters the wider historical record.