Buhen was an ancient Egyptian settlement situated on the West bank of the Nile below (to the North of) the Second Cataract. It is well known for its fortress, probably constructed during the rule of Senusret III, around the year 1860 BC (12th dynasty). The site may have been first established as an outpost in Nubia during the reign of Sneferu (4th dynasty). Graffiti and other inscribed items from the site show that the Egyptians stayed about 200 years, until late in the 5th dynasty, when they were probably forced out by immigration from the south.