Nile Valley Kin(g)ship
The Nubian with the Horned Crown at Maryam Qorqor (Tigray, Ethiopia) and the Legitimation of the Zagwe Kings
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21322303 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Mikael Muehlbauer (corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 64 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 203-230 |
| Publication date | 2025-09-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Gesta (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0016-920X • E-ISSN: 2169-3099 |
| Publisher | University of Chicago Press (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1086/736589 |
| OpenAlex | W4415597360 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 27 |
Nubia and Ethiopia coexisted as Christian African states in the Middle Ages, yet there is little to no visual evidence for their interaction. This essay evaluates the only known representation of a Nubian figure in Ethiopia: a man with a horned crown in a mural in the isolated monastery church of Maryam Qorqor. Drawing from Nubian, Ethiopian, and Byzantine iconographic sources as well as scattered texts, this study reveals the figure to be an avatar of Christian authority and coronation for the reigning Zagwe dynasty of Ethiopia. This single mural reveals a forgotten south-south, African axis of medieval authority and legitimation along the Nile valley
Byzantine architecture · Coronation · Crown (dentistry) · Legitimation · Mural · Representation (politics) · African history and culture analysis · Ancient Egypt and Archaeology · Archaeology and Historical Studies
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |