FORGOTTEN PYRAMIDS OF SUDAN
A country to discover
Sudan has an enormous potential to be one of the world’s top destinations for people who appreciate ancient Relics and folklores that is referenced as the cradle of civilization. Whether it be archaeological finds, the breathtaking natural scenery, arts or rich folklore, Sudan has a glorious past and remarkable contributions to the progress of Humankind.
Relics of Ancient Kingdoms
Sudan civilization date back to the year 3000 BC when several kingdoms were founded, the mightiest of which was Napata kingdom during the eight century BC. It was followed by Merowe Kingdom, which faded in 350 AD. Then came the Nubian Christian states in the sixth century AD along with the Islamic Kingdoms: the Black Sultanate (1505-1821), Fur Sultanate, Tagali Kingdom and the Mahdist state (1885-1898). Relics of these kingdoms and states exist until today and among the most important archaeological sites lying between the North and the South of the country.
Nubian pyramids in ancient Meroe, the capital of the Kingdom of Kush.
More than 200km from the Sudanese capital Khartoum, the remains of an ancient city rise from the arid and inhospitable terrain like a science-fiction film set. Nestled between sand dunes, the secluded pyramids seem to have been forgotten by the modern world, with no nearby restaurants or hotels to cater to tourists.
The Nubian Meroe pyramids, much smaller but just as impressive as the more famous Egyptian ones, are found on the east bank of the Nile river, near a group of villages called Bagrawiyah. The pyramids get their name from the ancient city of Meroe, the capital of the Kingdom of Kush, an ancient African kingdom situated in what is now the Republic of Sudan. Built of granite and sandstone, Nubian pyramids were built between 2,700 and 2,300 years ago. it has decorative elements from the cultures of Pharaonic Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Although different in stature and build and created earlier than the famed Egyptian pyramids, Sudan has more ancient pyramids than Egypt. There are around 2000 Kushite pyramids in upper Sudan, compared with 200 Egyptian pyramids.
Around 1000 BCE, after the fall of the 24th Egyptian dynasty, the Nubian Kingdom of Kush arose as the leading power in the middle Nile region. The Kushite kings took over and ruled much of Egypt from 712 to 657 BCE. In 300 BCE, when the capital and royal burial ground of the kingdom moved to the Meroe region, the pharaonic tradition of building pyramids to encapsulate the tombs of rulers continued here.
Royal pyramids were built in Nubia approximately 800 years after the Egyptians stopped building their pyramids. More than 50 ancient pyramids and royal tombs rise out of the desert sands at Meroe.
The Nubian Meroe pyramids are the best preserved of the more than 220 pyramids in Sudan. They are the burial sites for more than 40 Nubian kings and queens of the Kush kingdom. Tomb walls depict mummified royals bedecked in jewellery, their wooden caskets containing bows, quivers of arrows, horse harnesses, rings, pottery, glass and metal artefacts pointing to Meroitic relationship and trade with Egyptian and Greek civilisations.
Through the years, the pyramids have been plundered of all their wealth and left to the elements. Excavations began only in the mid-19th century. The Italian explorer Giuseppe Ferlini smashed the tops off 40 pyramids in a quest to find their treasure between 1800 and 1870. What the Italian explorer found was brought back to British and German museums, along with samples of Meroitic writing and reliefs depicting historical events.
A few of the smaller pyramids have since been restored, looking new in comparison to their more battered neighbours.
The lack of facilities and the relatively long distance from the capital Khartoum partly explain why the area sees very few visitors. A visitor's permit, which costs $10, is required to visit the pyramids. The permit can be obtained in Khartoum from the Antiquities Service.
New efforts are under way to preserve the pyramids from the elements and damage caused by human activity.
