Al-Maris

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Al-Maris (Arabic: المريس) was an area of southern Egypt/northern Nubia from the tenth to the thirteenth century. It was a part of the Christian state of Makuria, and had earlier been part of Nobatia before that nation merged with Makuria. The main towns were Bajrash (Pachoras, Faras) and Qasr Ibrim. While the movement of the Arab armies southwards was halted by the bakt in 651 this did not stop the slow penetration of northern Nubia by Arabs. By the tenth century al-Maris was largely Arabized and Islamicized and was de facto independent of Makuria, ruled by its governor the Sahib al-jabal (King of the Mountains).

The area was briefly conquered by Turan Shah, brother of Saladin around 1174, but the Ayyubids withdrew a few years later. It was subsequently conquered by the Banu Kanz who ruled the area. It was fully annexed to Egypt by Baybars in 1276, though the Sahib al-jabal kept ruling.

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