Naqada

For other uses, see Naqada (disambiguation).

Naqada I bone figure with lapis lazuli inlays. British Museum

Naqada
Naqada Location in Egypt
Coordinates: 25°54′N 32°43′E
Country	Egypt
Governorate	Qena Governorate
Time zone	EST (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	+3 (UTC)

Naqada in hieroglyphs

Naqada is a town on the west bank of the Nile in the Egyptian governorate of Qena. It was known in Ancient Egypt as Nbwt and in classical antiquity as Ombos /ˈɒmˌbɒs/. Its name derives from ancient Egyptian nbw, meaning gold, on account of the proximity of gold mines in the Eastern Desert.

Naqada comprises some villages such as Tukh, Khatara, Danfiq and Zawayda. It stands near the site of a necropolis from the prehistoric, pre-dynastic period around 4400–3000 BC. Naqada has given its name to the widespread Naqada culture that existed at the time, here, and at other sites including el Badari, Gerzeh and Nekhen (Hierakonopolis). The large quantity of remains from Naqada have enabled the dating of the entire culture, throughout Egypt and environs.

The town was the centre of the cult of Set, and large tombs were built there around c. 3500 BC.

See also

• Naqada I
• Naqada II
• Naqada III

References

• 

  Sickle made of flint, Egypt, Naqada period, end of the fourth millennium BC, Dagon Museum, Haifa