Bana-Mighdall
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Bana-Mighdall is a fictional Amazon nation as well as fictional former cities in the DC Comics universe created by writer George Pérez. The Egyptian city of Bana-Mighdall was introduced in Wonder Woman Vol. 2, issue 29. The initial Themyscirian Bana-Mighdall encampment was shown in Wonder Woman Vol. 2, issue 0, while the more full sized Themyscirian city was first shown in Wonder Woman Vol. 2, issue 168.
History of the city
According to the comic book origin, three-thousand years ago the two Amazon Queens (Hippolyta and Antiope) split the Amazon nation in two. Hippolyta's tribe traveled to the isolated island of Themyscira to live immortal lives in order to protect the doorway to the Underworld called Doom's Doorway. Antiope's tribe was never given immortality and was forced to mate with common men in order to guarantee their tribe's survival. They migrated from Greece to various European and Middle Eastern countries before finally settling in Egypt. As Antiope and her tribe had renounced the Olympian gods once the two Queens parted ways, they eventually began to assimilate various religions and goddesses from the many lands they traveled to. It was in Egypt that they finally built the city of Bana-Mighdall, which in their language translates to The Temple of Women. Thanking the Amazons for their worship, one of their new goddesses created a powerfully consistent sandstorm to surround and protect their city from any outsiders who could not be trusted, or "ariandas".
Eventually in the 20th century the Amazon Princess Diana of Themyscira, or Wonder Woman, accidentally found the city of Bana-Mighdall while searching for the villain the Cheetah. A battle took place between her and the Bana-Mighdallian's chief warrior or Shim'Tar. Soon an enraged Olympian god Hermes, who was in love with Diana, took vengeance on the desert Amazons for attacking his beloved and the city of Bana-Mighdall was destroyed. It was decided by the remaining Amazons that since the Themyscirian princess was the initial cause of their city being destroyed, they would take over her Amazon city instead.
During the attack on Themyscira the witch Circe teleported the island into a dimension of demons in order for both tribes to be destroyed. The two tribes stopped their private war in order to fight the demons to ensure their survival. Wonder Woman learned about Circe's spell and had the island returned.
After Themyscira was put back into place the Amazons of Bana-Mighdall began building a city of their own in the harshest part of the island. They christened the city Bana-Mighdall in honor of their former city in Egypt. Unfortunately, civil war broke out between the two groups of Amazons due to their animosities. The Amazon Artemis had to take up the title of Shim'Tar and join Wonder Woman in guiding both tribes to peaceful negotiations. Queen Hippolyta and Princess Diana eventually renounced their crowns, thus ending the war and leaving the island without a structured government. It was later decided that General Phillipus of the Themysciran Royal Guard and Artemis would be co-rulers of the island, newly restored by means of Wonder Woman's Wonderdome technology and the blessings of both Amazon nations' respective goddesses, under the title of Supreme Grand Chancellor.
Notable members
Queen Anahid, Nehebka, Faruka, Kadesha-Banu, Batiri, Artemis, Patrice, Nuscia, Mala, Trigona, Anaya, Falizia, Laris, Sashina, Ratira, Akila, and Bitari.Dieties
Unlike their distant cousins, the Themyscirian Amazons, the Amazons of Bana-Mighdall do not worship the Greek gods. Renoucing them millenia ago, the tribe instead worship a combination of Egyptian and middle eastern dieties. The main circle of gods worshipped are: Isis (wisdom and magic), Mammitu (judgement bringer), Bast (nature and feminine), and Neith (mother figure). These gods were shown to have integrated themselves with the Olympians once the two Amazon tribes agreed to unify the Amazon nation once more. Though these are the central gods in their belief system, less significant gods have been shown to be part of thier godly pantheon such as the gods Sekhmet (war god), Thoth (their only known male god) and possibly Ishtar (love goddess).Present state of the city
During Our Worlds At War, the island of Themyscira was destroyed and thus both Amazon cities no longer physically existed. Wanting to put past angers aside, Artemis and the Themyscirian General Philippus were voted to be co-rulers of the island. Desiring to stop tribal separation, one city was built on the remains of the islands in which both groups of Amazons exist together under two rulers. Now when one speaks the word Bana-Mighdall, it is either in reference to the past Amazon cities or to identify a particular type of Amazon.
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