Travel | September 2020

In the Land of Kush

A dazzling civilization flourished in Sudan nearly 5,000 years ago. Why was it forgotten?

Meroe, Sudan mobile

Text by Isma'il Kushkush; Photographs by Matt Stirn

If you drive north from Khartoum along a narrow desert road toward the ancient city of Meroe, a breathtaking view emerges from beyond the mirage: dozens of steep pyramids piercing the horizon. No matter how many times you may visit, there is an awed sense of discovery. In Meroe itself, once the capital of the Kingdom of Kush, the road divides the city. To the east is the royal cemetery, packed with close to 50 sandstone and red brick pyramids of varying heights; many have broken tops, the legacy of 19th-century European looters. To the west is the royal city, which includes the ruins of a palace, a temple and a royal bath. Each structure has distinctive architecture that draws on local, Egyptian and Greco-Roman decorative tastes—evidence of Meroe’s global connections.

Off the highway, men wearing Sudanese jalabiyas and turbans ride camels across the desert sands. Although the area is largely free of the trappings of modern tourism, a few local merchants on straw mats in the sand sell small clay replicas of the pyramids. As you approach the royal cemetery on foot, climbing large, rippled dunes, Meroe’s pyramids, lined neatly in rows, rise as high as 100 feet toward the sky. “It’s like opening a fairytale book,” a friend once said to me.

Temple of Soleb

I first learned of Sudan’s extraordinary pyramids as a boy, in the British historian Basil Davidson’s 1984 documentary series “Africa.” As a Sudanese-American who was born and raised in the United States and the Middle East, I studied the history of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, the Levant, Persia, Greece and Rome—but never that of ancient Nubia, the region surrounding the Nile River between Aswan in southern Egypt and Khartoum in central Sudan. Seeing the documentary pushed me to read as many books as I could about my homeland’s history, and during annual vacations with my family I spent much of my time at Khartoum’s museums, viewing ancient artifacts and temples rescued from the waters of Lake Nasser when Egypt’s Aswan High Dam was built during the 1960s and ’70s. Later, I worked as a journalist in Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, for close to eight years, reporting for the New York Times and other news outlets about Sudan’s fragile politics and wars. But every once in a while I got to write about Sudan’s rich and relatively little known ancient history. It took me more than 25 years to see the pyramids in person, but when I finally visited Meroe, I was overwhelmed by a feeling of fulfilled longing for this place, which had given me a sense of dignity and a connection to global history. Like a long lost relative, I wrapped my arms around a pyramid in a hug.

The land south of Egypt, beyond the first cataract of the Nile, was known to the ancient world by many names: Ta-Seti, or Land of the Bow, so named because the inhabitants were expert archers; Ta-Nehesi, or Land of Copper; Ethiopia, or Land of Burnt Faces, from the Greek; Nubia, possibly derived from an ancient Egyptian word for gold, which was plentiful; and Kush, the kingdom that dominated the region between roughly 2500 B.C. and A.D. 300. In some religious traditions, Kush was linked to the biblical Cush, son of Ham and grandson of Noah, whose descendants inhabited northeast Africa.

Ruins at the Temple of Soleb

For years, European and American historians and archaeologists viewed ancient Kush through the lens of their own prejudices and that of the times. In the early 20th century, the Harvard Egyptologist George Reisner, on viewing the ruins of the Nubian settlement of Kerma, declared the site an Egyptian outpost. “The native negroid race had never developed either its trade or any industry worthy of mention, and owed their cultural position to the Egyptian immigrants and to the imported Egyptian civilization,” he wrote in an October 1918 bulletin for Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts. It wasn’t until mid-century that sustained excavation and archaeology revealed the truth: Kerma, which dated to as early as 3000 B.C., was the first capital of a powerful indigenous kingdom that expanded to encompass the land between the first cataract of the Nile in the north and the fourth cataract in the south. The kingdom rivaled and at times overtook Egypt. This first Kushite kingdom traded in ivory, gold, bronze, ebony and slaves with neighboring states such as Egypt and ancient Punt, along the Red Sea to the east, and it became famous for its blue glazed pottery and finely polished, tulip-shaped red-brown ceramics.

Among those who first challenged the received wisdom from Reisner was the Swiss archaeologist Charles Bonnet. It took 20 years for Egyptologists to accept his argument. “Western archaeologists, including Reisner, were trying to find Egypt in Sudan, not Sudan in Sudan,” Bonnet told me. Now 87, Bonnet has returned to Kerma to conduct field research every year since 1970, and has made several significant discoveries that have helped rewrite the region’s ancient history. He identified and excavated a fortified Kushite metropolis nearby, known as Dukki Gel, which dates to the second millennium B.C.

Inside the tomb of King Tantamani

Around 1500 B.C., Egypt’s pharaohs marched south along the Nile and, after conquering Kerma, established forts and temples, bringing Egyptian culture and religion into Nubia. Near the fourth cataract, the Egyptians built a holy temple at Jebel Barkal, a small flat-topped mountain uniquely situated where the Nile turns southward before turning northward again, forming the letter “S.” It was this place, where the sun is born from the “west” bank—typically associated with sunset and death—that ancient Egyptians believed was the source of Creation.

Egyptian rule prevailed in Kush until the 11th century B.C. As Egypt retreated, its empire weakening, a new dynasty of Kushite kings rose in the city of Napata, about 120 miles southeast of Kerma, and asserted itself as the rightful inheritor and protector of ancient Egyptian religion. Piye, Napata’s third king, known more commonly in Sudan as Piankhi, marched north with an army that included horsemen and skilled archers and naval forces that sailed north on the Nile. Defeating a coalition of Egyptian princes, Piye established Egypt’s 25th Dynasty, whose kings are commonly known as the Black Pharaohs. Piye recorded his victory in a 159-line inscription in Middle Egyptian hieroglyphics on a stele of dark gray granite preserved today in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. He then returned to Napata to rule his newly expanded kingdom, where he revived the Egyptian tradition, which had been dormant for centuries, of entombing kings in pyramids, at a site called El-Kurru.

Tent camps in the Bayuda Desert

One of Piye’s sons, Taharqa, known in Sudan as Tirhaka, was mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as an ally of Jerusalem’s King Hezekiah. He moved the royal cemetery to Nuri, 14 miles away, and had a pyramid built for himself that is the largest of those erected to honor the Kushite kings. Archaeologists still debate why he moved the royal cemetery. Geoff Emberling, an archaeologist at the University of Michigan who has excavated at El-Kurru and Jebel Barkal, told me that one explanation focusing on Kushite ritual is that Taharqa situated his tomb so that “the sun rose over the pyramid at the moment when the Nile flooding is supposed to have arrived.” But there are other explanations. “There might have been a political split,” he said. “Both explanations might be true.”

The Black Pharaohs’ rule of Egypt lasted for nearly a century, but Taharqa lost control of Egypt to invading Assyrians. Beginning in the sixth century B.C., when Napata was repeatedly threatened by attack from Egyptians, Persians and Romans, the kings of Kush gradually moved their capital south to Meroe. The city, at the junction of several important trade routes in a region rich in iron and other precious metals, became a bridge between Africa and the Mediterranean, and it grew prosperous. “They took on influences from outside—Egyptian influences, Greco-Roman influences, but also influences from Africa. And they formed their very own ideas, their own architecture and arts,” says Arnulf Schlüter, of the State Museum of Egyptian Art in Munich.

The Nubian Rest House

The pyramids in Meroe, which was named a Unesco World Heritage site in 2011, are undoubtedly the most striking feature here. While they are not as old or as large as the pyramids in Egypt, they are unique in that they are steeper, and they were not all dedicated to royals; nobles (at least those who could afford it) came to be buried in pyramids as well. Many Sudanese today are quick to point out that the number of standing ancient pyramids in the country—more than 200—exceeds the number of those in Egypt.

Across from the pyramids is the royal city, with surrounding grounds that are still covered in slag, evidence of the city’s large iron-smelting industry and a source of its economic power. Queens called by the title Kandake , known in Latin as “Candace,” played a vital role in Meroitic political life. The most famous of them was Amanirenas, a warrior-queen who ruled Kush from roughly 40 B.C. to 10 B.C. Described by the Greek geographer Strabo, who mistook her title for her name, as “a masculine sort of woman, and blind in one eye,” she led an army to fight off the Romans to the north and returned with a bronze statue head of Emperor Augustus, which she then buried in Meroe beneath the steps to a temple dedicated to victory. In the town of Naga, where Schlüter does much of his work, another kandake , Amanitore, who ruled from about 1 B.C. to A.D. 25, is portrayed beside her co-regent, King Natakamani, on the entrance-gate wall of a temple dedicated to the indigenous lion god Apedemak; they are depicted slaying their enemies—Amanitore with a long sword, Natakamani with a battle-ax—while lions rest symbolically at their feet. Many scholars believe that Amanitore’s successor, Amantitere, is the Kushite queen referred to as “Candace, queen of the Ethiopians” in the New Testament, whose treasurer converted to Christianity and traveled to Jerusalem to worship.

Sufi graves of Kerma

At another site not far away, Musawwarat es-Sufra, archaeologists still wonder about the purpose that a large central sandstone complex, known as the Great Enclosure, might have served. It dates to the third century B.C., and includes columns, gardens, ramps and courtyards. Some scholars have theorized that it was a temple, others a palace or a university, or even a camp to train elephants for use in battle, because of the elephant statues and engravings found throughout the complex. There is nothing in the Nile Valley to compare it to.

By the fourth century A.D., the power of Kush began to wane. Historians give different explanations for this, including climate change-driven drought and famine and the rise of a rival civilization in the east, Aksum, in modern-day Ethiopia.

For years, Kush’s history and contributions to world civilization were largely ignored. Early European archaeologists were unable to see it as more than a reflection of Egypt. Political instability, neglect and underdevelopment in Sudan prevented adequate research into the country’s ancient history. Yet the legacy of Kush is important because of its distinctive cultural achievements and civilization: it had its own language and script; an economy based on trade and skilled work; a well-known expertise in archery; an agricultural model that allowed for raising cattle; and a distinctive cuisine featuring foods that reflected the local environment, such as milk, millet and dates. It was a society organized differently from its neighbors in Egypt, the Levant and Mesopotamia, with unique city planning and powerful female royals. “At its height, the Kingdom of Kush was a dominant regional power,” says Zeinab Badawi, a distinguished British-Sudanese journalist whose documentary series “The History of Africa” aired on the BBC earlier this year. Kush’s surviving archaeological remains “reveal a fascinating and uncelebrated ancient people the world has forgotten.”

Tent camp at sunrise

While Egypt has long been explained in light of its connections to the Near East and the Mediterranean, Kush makes clear the role that black Africans played in an interconnected ancient world. Kush was “at the root of black African civilizations, and for a long time scholars and the general public berated its achievements,” Geoff Emberling told me. Edmund Barry Gaither, an American educator and director of Boston’s Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists, says that “Nubia gave black people their own place at the table, even if it did not banish racist detractors.” The French archaeologist Claude Rilly put it to me this way: “Just as Europeans look at ancient Greece symbolically as their father or mother, Africans can look at Kush as their great ancestor.”

Today, many do. In Sudan, where 30 years of authoritarian rule ended in 2019 after months of popular protests, a new generation is looking to their history to find national pride. Among the most popular chants by protesters were those invoking Kushite rulers of millennia past: “My grandfather is Tirhaka! My grandmother is a Kandake!”

Intisar Soghayroun, an archaeologist and a member of Sudan’s transitional government, says that rediscovering the country’s ancient roots helped fuel the calls for change. “The people were frustrated with the present, so they started looking into their past,” she told me. “That was the moment of revolution.”

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Matt Stirn | READ MORE

Matt Stirn is an archaeologist and photographer whose work has appeared in National Geographic and BBC World News, among others.

Isma'il Kushkush | READ MORE

Isma'il Kushkush is a journalist whose work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic and The New York Times.

Meroë Pyramids, Sudan: The Complete Guide

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Sudan National Museum

Egypt 's iconic ancient pyramids are famous around the world and are undoubtedly one of the biggest draws for visitors to North Africa . The Great Pyramid of Giza, for example, is recognized as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and remains one of Egypt's most popular tourist attractions. In comparison, Sudan's Meroë Pyramids are relatively unknown; and yet, they are less crowded, more numerous and steeped in fascinating history. 

Situated approximately 155 miles/250 kilometers northeast of Khartoum near the banks of the River Nile , the ancient city of Meroë is home to almost 200 pyramids. Constructed out of large blocks of sandstone in the Nubian style, the pyramids look quite different to their Egyptian counterparts, with smaller bases and more steeply sloped sides. However, they were built for the same purpose - to serve as a burial site and statement of power, in this case for the kings and queens of the ancient Meroitic Kingdom. 

Incredible History

Built between 2,700 and 2,300 years ago, the Meroë Pyramids are a relic of the Meroitic Kingdom, also known as the Kingdom of Kush. The kings and queens of this period ruled between 800 BC and 350 AD and held sway over a vast area that included most of the Nile Delta and reached as far south as Khartoum. During this time, the ancient city of Meroë served as the kingdom's southern administrative center and later as its capital. 

The first Egyptian pyramids pre-date the oldest structures at Meroë by almost 2,000 years and probably provided inspiration for their architects. In fact, early Meroitic culture was heavily influenced by that of Ancient Egypt, and it seems likely that Egyptian artisans were commissioned to help build the pyramids at Meroë. However, the aesthetic differences between the pyramids at both locations show that the Nubians also had their own distinct style. 

The Pyramids Today

While carved reliefs within the pyramids show that Meroitic royalty were likely mummified and buried along with a rich trove of treasures including precious jewelry, weapons, furniture and pottery, the pyramids at Meroë are now bare of such ornaments. Much of the tombs' treasure was looted by grave robbers in ancient times, while the unscrupulous archaeologists and explorers of the 19th and 20th centuries removed what was left in a series of excavation efforts. 

Most notoriously, an Italian explorer and treasure hunter named Giuseppe Ferlini caused irreparable damage to the pyramids in 1834. Upon hearing of the stashes of silver and gold still rumored to be hidden within some of the tombs, he used explosives to blow the tops off several pyramids and to level others to the ground. In total, it is thought that he vandalized more than 40 different pyramids, later selling his findings to museums in Germany . 

Despite their careless treatment, many of Meroë's pyramids still stand although some are decapitated as a result of Ferlini's efforts. Others have been reconstructed and give a wonderful insight into how they must once have looked during their heyday. 

How to Get There

Although the Meroë Pyramids are certainly well off the beaten track, it is possible to visit them by yourself. Those with a car can simply drive there - from Khartoum, the journey takes approximately four hours. Those that are dependent on public transport may find the trip more difficult. The most reliable way to plan a trip is to take the bus from Khartoum to the small town of Shendi, then hop on a taxi for the remaining 47 kilometers/30 miles to Meroë. 

Officially, visitors need a permit to visit the pyramids, which can be purchased from the National Museum in Khartoum. However, anecdotal reports from other travelers state that the permits are rarely checked and can be bought upon arrival if necessary. There are no cafés or toilets, so be sure to bring food and plenty of water. Alternatively, several tour operators make life easy by offering fully organized itineraries that incorporate visits to the Meroë Pyramids. Recommended itineraries include Encounters Travel's Hidden Treasures tour; and Corinthian Travel's  Meroë & The Pharaohs of Kush tour. 

Staying Safe

Traveling with a professional tour operator is also a good idea for safety reasons. At the time of writing (February 2019), the political situation in Sudan renders areas of the country unsafe for tourist travel. Due to civil unrest and the threat of terrorism, the U.S. Department of State has issued a Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) advisory for most of Sudan and a Level 4 (Do Not Travel) advisory for the Darfur region and the Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan states. While the Meroë Pyramids are located in the safer River Nile state, it's a good idea to check the latest travel warnings before planning your trip. 

This article was updated and re-written in part by Jessica Macdonald on February 13 2019.

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Visiting the Meroe Sudan Pyramids

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UPDATE MAY 2022: If you want off-the-beaten-track travel, here it is. Sudan, alone, is an obscure destination to visit, but one that is well worth your time and effort. But visiting the Meroe Pyramids of Sudan is more obscure still. I visited Sudan as part of my epic Cape Town to Cairo overland trip, and Sudan was a real highlight. From checking out the domestic tourism scene in Port Sudan, to see what all the fuss was about in Khartoum, taking the ferry from Sudan to Egypt up the Nile , and then Sudan’s Number 1 attraction, visiting the Meroe Pyramids of Sudan!

You know how the conversation should go:

“ Have you ever seen the pyramids ?” “ The ones in Egypt or the ones in Sudan? ”

Instant travel guru points! Seriously though, when people talk about the pyramids they are generally referring to the ones in Cairo, Egypt ( check out the things to see in Cairo here , or how to spend 3 days in Cairo here ). But that, right there, is the true beauty of the Sudanese pyramids. You’re almost guaranteed to have them all to yourself when you visit. 

Table of contents

What are the pyramids of sudan, where are the pyramids of sudan, how to visit the meroe pyramids:, how to visit the jebel barkal pyramids of sudan:, how to visit el kurru pyramids:, travel insurance for sudan, thoughts on visiting the pyramids in sudan.

Pyramids of Sudan

Sudan has 255 Pyramids, and most people have never heard of them! The Sudanese Pyramids are 2,500 years old (slightly newer than the Egyptian Pyramids). During the Nubian period, they were built to act as tombs for the rulers of Napata and Meroë. That’s enough info to impress your friends.

Meroe Pyramids of Sudan

Well, there are actually a few different sites for the Pyramids of Sudan. The Meroe Pyramids are generally the Pyramids that most people visit when they’re in Sudan. The Meroe Pyramids are in the best condition. And also the ones that have received some reconstruction funding. And arguably most historically important. They’re easier to access with day trips from Khartoum even possible.

So where are all these pyramids in Sudan? There are 4 sites to visit the Sudanese pyramids:

  • The Meroe Sites / Begrawiya: The best Pyramids in Sudan, 200km north of Khartoum, near Shendi (3.5 hour drive from Khartoum)
  • Jebel Barkal Pyramids, Sudan: Near the town of Karima, 450km north of Sudan, near Karima (6 hour drive one-way from Khartoum)
  • El Kurru Pyramids, Sudan: Part of the same complex of Pyramids as Jebel Barkal
  • Nuri Pyramids, Sudan: Part of the same complex of Pyramids as Jebel Barkal

Check out the google map below. The Meroe Pyramids stand-alone, near the town of Shendi, 200km from Khartoum. Whereas the Pyramids of Jebel Barkal, El Kurru and Nuri all are bunched together near the town of Karima, 450km north of Khartoum.

How to Visit the Sudan Pyramids

You can see from the google map above, technically it would be possible to visit ALL 4 sets of Sudanese Pyramids in one mammoth day trip from Khartoum, leaving around 3 or 4am when it’s still dark, and getting back late at night after 10 pm, with at least 14 hours of that day trip spent in the car. Ouch. 

If you’re overlapping/backpacking/long-term-traveling in Sudan: The best way to visit them is this. From Khartoum, your next travel stop is probably Port Sudan, so go from Khartoum to Shendi and spend the night there, either organising the Mero Pyramids for the day you arrive in Shendi, or the following day. The continue on to Port Sudan. After you’re done with Port Sudan, make your way to Karima where you can sleep, and see all the other 3 sets of Sudanese Pyramids.

After you’re done, make your way to Wadi Halfa to continue on the ferry from Sudan to Egypt . This assumes you’re going from South to North, if you’re going North to South, of course just switch this around.

If you’re visiting Sudan as a short break/tourist:  Day-trip from Khartoum to the Meroe Pyramids. The easiest option, and the coolest Pyramids in Sudan.

This site is found 200 km or so north of Khartoum. It hosts the largest selection of pyramids found in Sudan. It’s possible to visit the pyramids as part of a day trip from Khartoum, either by bus or taxi. A cheaper way of doing it, and how I personally did it,  is to sleep in Atbara. Then take a day trip from there. It’s about 80km each way so you can get a bus or if there are a couple of you then a taxi cost around $30 USD all in.

When you arrive at the site prepare to be amazed. The place seems untouched by tourism and there is no road from the main road to the site where the Meroe Pyramids are! You have to offroad through the desert to get there. It costs around 20 SDP (about $7) and will be the best money you spend in Sudan. 2 guys with a camel and an old lady selling tickets, other than that it’s just you, 20 pyramids and a whole lot of desert.

More than likely, you’ll be the only tourists there and it’s a surreal feeling to be at such an important historical sight with the freedom to roam around carefree. I gave the camel guys 5 SDP to ride their camels (EDIT 2020: I wouldn’t ride camels, or elephants, or dolphins etc since learning about their welfare) around instead of walking on the scorching hot sand and it was money well invested. 

Sudan Pyramids

Another cool selection of Sudanese pyramids but not quite as impressive as Begrawiya. Sleep in Karima and get a cab the 4km out of town to the pyramids. There’s also a run-down temple complex there too. Again, you’ll be the only person there and that alone is a great experience. It’s free to visit too so no excuses not to go.

Again, this is reachable from a day trip from Karima (via bus for $1 USD or, more conveniently, taxi for $12). There are 2 underground tombs complete with Egyptian style hieroglyphics. The area these are found is amazing, with tombs and old temples everywhere. Nothing has been properly excavated yet and as soon as Unesco get their hands on these Sudanese sights, they’ll be world-famous for sure. The ticket costs around $5 USD per person.

El Kurru Pyramids

Your travel insurance almost definitely won’t cover you when you travel in Sudan. My guys will! Safetywing ( review here ) covers you everywhere, and only $9 a week, get it even if you only switch it on and off when you visit countries that people would deem scary, it covers EVERY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD apart from North Korea and Iran, amazing! GET A DISCOUNT HERE . 

If you’re on a tight budget, like me when I went, you can do this all via public transport and $4 guest houses. In all honesty, spending $50 here, and $100 there for taxis and hotels would be a much more comfortable experience. It’s certainly what I’ll do when I come back. Personally, I suggest taking a day trip from Khartoum in a private taxi. Then come back and sleep in Khartoum for the Meroe Pyramids. I wouldn’t bother again with the other set unless I’m going in that direction. But obviously, that’s up to you. 

I hope you get the opportunity to visit Sudan. And get well and truly off the beaten track. You won’t regret it. I promise you that and when you are fighting the hordes of tourist at the Pyramids in Egypt you can look back with nostalgia at the time in Sudan when you had the whole site to yourself.

Pyramids in Sudan

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The World Through a Lens

Glimpses of Sudan’s Forgotten Pyramids

Desecrated by plunderers, threatened by floodwaters and largely overshadowed by their Egyptian counterparts, Sudan’s ancient archaeological sites may finally be poised to receive broader recognition.

Pyramids and temples at the ancient city of Meroe. Credit...

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Photographs and Text by Alessio Mamo

  • March 22, 2021

The site was nearly deserted. A few locals were tidying up after recent restoration work, and young camel drivers were out looking for clients. In the midday heat, the bright glow of the desert helped focus my attention on the pyramids themselves.

Situated on the east bank of the Nile, some 150 miles by car northeast of Sudan ’s capital, Khartoum, the Meroe pyramids — around 200 in total, many of them in ruins — seemed to be in perfect harmony with the surrounding landscape, as if the wind had smoothed their edges to accommodate them among the dunes.

visit sudan pyramids

Throughout the 30-year dictatorship of Omar Hassan al-Bashir, who led Sudan through a long series of wars and famines, the pyramids of Meroe saw few international visitors and remained relatively unknown.

But among the many consequences of the revolution that led to Mr. al-Bashir’s ouster in 2019 — along with the removal of Sudan in 2020 from the United States’ list of state sponsors of terrorism — was the hope that the country’s archaeological sites might receive broader attention and protections, not simply from researchers and international visitors but also from Sudanese citizens themselves.

I traveled to Sudan in February and March of 2020, just a few days before pandemic lockdowns fell into place in my home country of Italy.

I was attracted to a nation that had managed — through the strength, creativity and determination of its people — to free itself from a dictatorship. And I was keen to meet and photograph the protagonists and young actors of this historic moment.

Late in 2018, Mr. al-Bashir, the former dictator, had ended subsidies on fuel and wheat , leading to a surge in prices. The reaction of the people, exhausted by economic crises, was not long in coming.

A wave of demonstrations filled the streets of several towns, far beyond the capital Khartoum. These were Sudanese of all ethnicities, classes and generations — but above all students and young professionals.

During my visit, Amr Abdallah and Tawdia Abdalaziz, two young Sudanese doctors in their 20s, led me through the streets of Khartoum to see the symbolic sites of the revolution, showing me mile after mile of public art — graffiti, murals, verses — that marked the sites of the protests.

When they told me about Meroe and Ancient Nubia , the name of the region that stretches between Egypt and northern Sudan, I discovered that the majority of Sudanese had never had the opportunity to visit these sites — including the doctors themselves.

For me, as an Italian, it equated to never having had the chance to visit the Colosseum in Rome.

The ancient city of Meroe — part of a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2011 — is a four-hour drive from Khartoum, northeast along the Nile River. The pyramids here, built between 2,700 and 2,300 years ago, stand as a testament to the grandeur of the Kingdom of Kush, a major power from the eighth century B.C. to the fourth century A.D.

Compared to the monumental pyramids in Giza, Egypt, the structures at Meroe are significantly smaller — from around 30 to 100 feet tall, against the 455-foot-tall Great Pyramid — and their slopes steeper. As in Egypt, though, the pyramids serve as royal burial sites.

In recent years, the pyramids at Meroe — as well as other Sudanese archaeological sites up and down the Nile, including the pyramids at Nuri, farther north — have been threatened by rising floodwaters , as well as the continuing effects of wind and sand erosion.

Plans for new hydroelectric dams also threaten certain archaeological sites in Sudan — as they have in the past, when the construction of the Merowe Dam displaced tens of thousands of residents and led to a frenzied archaeological hunt for artifacts before they were submerged by the dam’s reservoir.

Perhaps the most infamous act of destruction at Meroe, however, is attributed to the Italian treasure hunter Giuseppe Ferlini, who in the 1830s destroyed several of the pyramids in a ruthless search for ancient artifacts.

With one hand on the steering wheel and the other holding his phone, Nour, our driver, was accustomed to bringing visitors to Meroe. Still, in his four-wheel-drive Toyota, we sometimes lost our way as we moved from one site to another, through vast stretches of deserts.

Local tour guides at the entrance to Meroe invited us to take camel rides, eager to remind us that this is a time-tested, if often neglected, tourist site.

At the Naqa archaeological site, some 50 miles southwest of Meroe, the atmosphere was very different.

We walked alone among the buildings, including a temple devoted to Apedemak, a lion-headed warrior god worshiped in Nubia. On the opposite side of the site, ram-shaped sculptures accompanied us to the entrance of the Amun temple, built around the first century A.D. and considered one the most important archaeological structures and tourist attractions in Sudan.

A stone’s throw from the temple of Amun, a golden sunset illuminated a small herd of goats, which were followed by a young goatherd. Dusk would soon settle in. The drive back to Khartoum was a long one, and our driver warned me to speed up.

Back in Khartoum, where the Nile River’s two main tributaries — the White Nile and the Blue Nile — meet, Dr. Amr and Dr. Tawdia, along with their friends, gathered to celebrate a birthday.

Amid the songs and dances, Dr. Tawdia approached me to ask what I thought of her country’s archaeological beauties — and to discuss Sudan’s future.

“The Sudanese people have the right to reclaim their country,” she said, adding that she and her friends long for a democratic society that can be open and accessible to everyone.

And, she added, they want a country that can showcase its treasures to its visitors and its people.

Alessio Mamo is an Italian photojournalist based in Catania, Sicily, who focuses on refugee displacement and humanitarian crises in the Middle East and the Balkans. You can follow his work on Instagram and Twitter .

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation.

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Explore Sudan’s Pyramids of Meroë

Uncover a city with over 200 pyramids. This is Meroë, the ancient capital of the Kushite Kingdom, in Sudan’s Nile Valley.

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The Kushite Kingdom

The Kushites extended their influence over Nubia (an ancient region mostly covering Sudan and Southern Egypt) for more than 3000 years.

The Kushite Kingdom once covered over 1500 km of the Nile Valley; this included ruling over Egypt from around 760 to 656 BCE. Kushite rulers of that era are commonly called “the Black Pharaohs”.

Meroë became this civilization’s third and final capital around 590 BCE. This began what’s described as a golden age for the Kushites.

The Nubian Pyramids

Today, the remains of more than 200 uniquely Nubian pyramids can be found in the Sudanese desert, as a lasting monument to a prosperous people.

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The Unique Design

The pyramids of Meroë range in height from 6 to 30 meters, rising from fairly narrow footprints, which creates the distinctive steep slopes to these structures.

This belongs to King Arkamani the First, one of the more intact pyramids.

Steep by design

These steep slopes are due to building by shaduf – a simple people-powered wooden crane. It was anchored in the middle of the plot, as the pyramid was built up around it.

Who built them?

Like ancient Egyptians, the occupants would design and build their own pyramids in life so there would be no delay in their journey to the afterlife. Construction could take over a year for the larger pyramids.

What’s inside?

Unlike the Giza pyramids in Egypt, Nubian pyramids have no burial chambers inside. The outer layers of sandstone blocks encase an internal filling of rubble and dirt (and in one recorded case, the remains of a shaduf).

The offering chapel

Here early explorers found offerings of bows, horse harnesses, wooden boxes, pottery, and imported goods from Meroë’s far-reaching trade with Egypt, Rome, Greece, India and China.

The offering chapel of the 12th pyramid in the north cemetery, dedicated to an unknown king.

The occupant in life

The south wall depicts the occupant’s life as a king. The smaller scenes before them likely depict parts of the funeral process, as offerings of cattle were a common practice.

And their afterlife

The north wall depicts the same king being embraced by the goddess Isis, as she was thought to help the dead when they entered the afterlife. But this is not the room where they were laid to rest...

The underground tomb

A buried staircase descends beneath the pyramid, landing in front of the entrance to a tomb. Beyond were typically one or two intricately decorated chambers, whose purpose was to help preserve the occupant’s spirit in the afterlife.

This is an illustrative example, based on real archaeological data from Meroë.

The antechamber

In the first room, or antechamber, you’d find columns of hieroglyphics and brightly coloured paintings of gods, such as Isis and Osiris. The Kushites and Egyptians had intermingled for thousands of years at this point, and shared many gods.

The burial chamber

The second chamber would have similar decorations. Niches in the walls may have held sculptures. This is where the king or queen would be laid to rest on a wooden bed. However, modern archaeological digs have never found any remains.

No royal remains have ever been found (likely stolen by ancient grave robbers), so we can’t absolutely know if they were mummified. But associated items have been found – surgical tools, canopic jars , precious incense and oils.

Here kings and queens were entombed in death, but what about their stories in life?

The Kings and Queens

Kings with the same name, and opposite views on Kushite culture. Queens who led armies, and ruled their kingdoms alone. These are only a few of Meroë’s many rulers.

King Arkamani I

Built the first pyramid of Meroë Reigned 270 to 260 BCE

King Arkamani II

Sought to restore more Egyptian culture Reigned 221 to 204 BCE

Queen Amanishakheto

A warrior who led armies with bow in hand Reigned 10 BCE to 1 CE

Queen Amanitore

Renewed Meroë to usher in a prosperous age Reigned 1 to 25 CE

The Meroitic Language

A lot of our knowledge on Meroë is based on the writings of ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks (which is biased, and could be untrue). This is because we don’t fully understand the Meroitic language. There were two forms – cursive and hieroglyphic. Today, work continues to fully decipher the Meroitic language. So one day this ancient civilization may finally be able to tell its own story, in its own words.

Explore Meroë on Street View

Retrace the steps of the ancient Kushites by exploring its royal cemeteries on Street View.

The partially buried pyramid of King Kalka Kaltaly – due to the constantly shifting dunes.

Queen Amanitore's unique pyramid – actually a “mastaba”, as it has a flat roof.

Two figures holding swords can be seen on King Adeqetali's offering chapel.

In partnership with

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Introduction Pyramids of Meroë

Chapter one the kushite kingdom, chapter two the nubian pyramids, chapter three the kings and queens, chapter four the meroitic language, what are canopic jars.

As part of the mummification process, the lungs, liver, intestines, and stomach of the deceased were removed and sealed into four separate jars. Each jar was styled as a different guardian, resembling the four sons of Horus.

The relocation of the Kushite capital from Napata to Meroë was a gradual process, started 320 years before Arkamani’s reign by King Aspelta. But it was likely Arkamani who ultimately cemented Meroë as the center of the Kushite civilization, when he became the first king to be buried there.

Allegedly, a tradition had begun in Napata that gave Amun’s high priests authority over the king. At any time they could order the king to abdicate – as if it was an order from Amun himself – by committing suicide. Arkamani had other plans, or King “Ergamenes” as the ancient Greek historian Diadorus wrote of him... 

“Ergamenes, king of the Aethiopians*, who had received instruction in Greek philosophy, was the first who dared disdain this command. With the determination worthy of a king he came with an armed force to the forbidden place where the golden temple of the Aethiopians* was situated and slaughtered all the priests, abolished this tradition, and instituted practices of his own discretion.” 

Of course, we can’t be sure whether Diadorus’ record is true, or if Arkamani was educated in Greek philosophy. The tale was likely sensationalized for Diadorus’ western audience. We do know the priests were powerful, but other ancient travelers of the time wrote of Meroë, without mentioning what would’ve had to be an unignorable moment in their cultural history.

The truth will only be uncovered when we decipher the Meroitic language. A language Arkamani had a hand in creating.

This is one example of how Arkamani’s reign led to a decline in the influence of Egyptian culture in Meroë. Instead he encouraged his people to embrace their own identity across art, politics, rituals and architecture – his pyramid was the first to be built in this Nubian style.

* The word “Aethiopian” is used here as it’s the ancient Greek word for “Nubian”.

Arkamani the Second (sometimes called “Arqamani” or “Ergamenes II”) was clearly named after his ancestor. Though the relation is uncertain, as we don’t have a complete picture of the Kushite royal family tree, and the order of succession.

Either way, he couldn’t be more different from his name sake. It seems he wanted to restore elements of Egyptian culture into Kushite culture, as opposed to Arkamani the First, who wanted to make Kushite culture more distinct. 

This is evident in the architecture during his reign. It returned to a shared Kushite-Egyptian style, which was more common in the time before Arkamani the First’s reign. This can also be seen in Arkamani the Second’s pyramid, which is much more Egyptian in style.

Other examples would be the monuments and temples he built in Nubia close to the ancient Egyptians’ territory. From inscriptions on the monuments’ stonework we know he contributed to the building of temples at Philae and Kalabsha. And it’s recorded he built the temple of Dakka in collaboration with Pharaoh Ptolemy the Fourth of Egypt.

Although these temples now reside in modern-day Egypt, they are still referred to as Nubian temples, as they were built in a style that would have appealed to the Nubian population that once lived there.

She was depicted as a warrior carrying a bow and arrows. Her imposing figure can still be seen on the walls of her offering chapel. This larger figure was seen as a symbol of power, beauty and wealth.

Amanishakheto was one of several queens who were given the Merotic titles “Qore” and “Kandake”. Qore meant ruler or king, and was also the title used by male rulers. Kandake was used to indicate both a queen or another female member of royalty. Ultimately these two titles together means she was a queen who ruled her kingdom independently.

Her name is mentioned in many monuments across her former kingdom. There is an ancient Egyptian writing that says she had great relations with Rome, and sent an ambassador there.

But little else is known of her life, besides an ornate collection of jewelry she was buried with. The treasure hunter Giuseppe Ferlini stole this in 1834, destroying her pyramid and many others across Meroë in the process.

Amanishakheto’s daughter would grow to be known as a great builder. The sheer volume of construction work during her reign, including the restoration of the large temple for Amun in Meroë, indicates it was a thriving period for the Kushites’ civilization.

It seems Amanitore was a co-ruler with her husband King Natakamani, as their achievements were always written about together. But it’s believed that Natakamani died in battle, and she continued to rule thereafter on her own. It’s also thought she could be “Candace*, queen of the Aethiopians**” who’s mentioned in the Bible.

Together, their reign was known to be incredibly prosperous. Many buildings were constructed, and ruined temples were restored. Improved irrigation canals were dug to allow farmers to produce more food. Trade flourished, based on artifacts found in graves during this period, and new caravan routes connected Meroë with ancient Arabian civilizations to the east.

Many queens of Meroë were depicted as fierce warriors that led their armies into battle. In a temple dedicated to Apedemak, their lion-headed god of victory, Amanitore is shown holding her sword high and conquering her enemies.

* “Candace” is a latinized version of “Kandake”, which is a Meroitic title to indicate a queen or royal woman, but in the Bible it was misunderstood to be the queen’s name. ** The word “Aethiopian” is used here as it’s the ancient Greek word for “Nubian”

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The Offering Chapel

The underground tomb, the nubian pyramids and their unique design.

The north wall depicts the same king being embraced by the goddess Isis, as she was thought to help the dead when they entered the afterlife. But this is not the room where they were laid to rest…

A buried staircase descends the pyramid, landing in front of the entrance to a tomb. Beyond were typically one or two intricately decorated chambers, whose purpose was to help preserve the occupant’s spirit in the afterlife.

The second chamber would have similar decorations. Niches in the walls may have held sculptures. This is where the king or queen would be laid to rest on a wooden bed. However, modern archeological digs have never found any remains.

No royal remains have ever been found (likely stolen by ancient grave robbers), so we can’t absolutely know if they were mummified. But associated items have been found – surgical tools, precious incense, oils and canopic jars.

Take advantage of the search to browse through the World Heritage Centre information.

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Unesco social media, archaeological sites of the island of meroe.

  • Description

The Archaeological Sites of the Island of Meroe, a semi-desert landscape between the Nile and Atbara rivers, was the heartland of the Kingdom of Kush, a major power from the 8th century B.C. to the 4th century A.D. The property consists of the royal city of the Kushite kings at Meroe, near the River Nile, the nearby religious site of Naqa and Musawwarat es Sufra. It was the seat of the rulers who occupied Egypt for close to a century and features, among other vestiges, pyramids, temples and domestic buildings as well as major installations connected to water management. Their vast empire extended from the Mediterranean to the heart of Africa, and the property testifies to the exchange between the art, architectures, religions and languages of both regions.

Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0

Sites archéologiques de l’île de Méroé

Les sites archéologiques de l'île de Méroé, paysage semi-désertique entre le Nil et l'Atbara, était le cœur du royaume de Kouch, une puissance majeure du VIIIe siècle avant J.-C. au IVe siècle avant J.-C. Le site comprend un site urbain et funéraire, siège des souverains qui occupèrent l'Egypte pendant près d'un siècle. Le bien comprend la cité royale des rois kouchites à Méroé, au bord du Nil, et les sites religieux tout proches de Naqa et de Musawwarat es-Sufra. On y trouve, entre autres vestiges, des pyramides, des temples, et des bâtiments résidentiels ainsi que des installations majeures de gestion de l'eau. Leur vaste empire s'étendait de la Méditerranée au cœur de l'Afrique, et le bien témoigne des échanges dans les domaines de l'art, l'architecture, les religions et les langues entre les deux régions.

المواقع الأثرية في جزيرة مروي

هي عبارة عن مناطق شبه صحراوية بين نهر النيل ونهر عطبرة، معقل مملكة كوش، التي كانت قوة عظمى بين القرنين الثامن والرابع قبل الميلاد، وتتألف من الحاضرة الملكية للملوك الكوشيين في مروي، بالقرب من نهر النيل، وبالقرب من المواقع الدينية في نقاء والمصورات الصفراء. كانت مقرًّا للحكام الذين احتلوا مصر لما يقرب من قرن ونيف، من بين آثار أخرى، من مثل الأهرامات والمعابد ومنازل السكن وكذلك المنشآت الكبرى، وهي متصلة كلها بشبكة مياه. امتدت إمبراطورية الكوشيين الشاسعة من البحر الأبيض المتوسط إلى قلب أفريقيا، وتشهد هذه المساحة على تبادل للفنون والهندسة والأديان واللغات بين المنطقتين.

source: UNESCO/CPE Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0

是一处位于尼罗河与阿特巴拉河之间的半荒漠景观,这里曾是公元前8世纪至公元4世纪间兴盛一时的库施(Kush)王国的中心地带。遗产由位于尼罗河边麦罗埃的库施王城、其附近的宗教遗址纳加神庙(Naqa)以及狮子神庙(Musawwarat es Sufra)所组成。这里曾是占领埃及近一世纪的统治者发号施令的地方,至今还拥有金字塔、神庙、民居建筑以及大型的用水设施等大量遗迹。庞大的库施帝国一度把疆土扩展到地中海以及非洲心脏地带,它所留下这一遗址也因此见证了上述两个地区在艺术、建筑、宗教与语言上的交流。

Los sitios arqueológicos de la isla de Meroe

Están situados en un paisaje semidesértico entre los ríos Nilo y Atbara, en lo que fue el centro del Reino de Kush, una gran potencia entre el siglo VIII a.C al siglo IV d.C. El sitio consiste en la ciudad real de los reyes kushitas en Meroe, cerca del río Nilo, y los sitios religiosos cercanos de Naqa y Musawwarat es Sufra. Fue sede del poder que ocupó Egipto durante casi un siglo y, entre otros vestigios, contiene pirámides templos y viviendas, así como instalaciones de gestión del agua. Este vasto imperio se extendió desde el Mediterráneo hasta el corazón de África, por lo que el lugar es testimonio del intercambio de artes, estilos arquitectónicos, religiones e idiomas entre ambas zonas.

source: NFUAJ

Archeologische plaatsen van het eiland Meroë

De archeologische vindplaatsen op het eiland Meroë waren vroeger het gebied van het Kush koninkrijk, een belangrijke macht van de 8e eeuw voor tot de 4e eeuw na Christus. Het semiwoestijnlandschap tussen de Nijl en Arbara rivieren bevat de koninklijke stad van de Kushische koningen op Meroë, de religieuze plaats Naqa en Musawwarat es Sufra. Er zijn overblijfselen, piramides, tempels en woonhuizen te vinden en grote installaties gerelateerd aan waterbeheer. Het gebied van de Kushische vorsten strekte zich uit van de Middellandse Zee naar het hart van Afrika en getuigt van de uitwisseling tussen kunst, architectuur, religies en de talen van beide regio’s.

Source: unesco.nl

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Outstanding Universal Value

Brief synthesis

The Island of Meroe is the heartland of the Kingdom of Kush, a major power in the ancient world from the 8th century BCE to the 4th century CE. Meroe became the principal residence of the rulers, and from the 3rd century BCE onwards it was the site of most royal burials.

The property consists of three separate site components, Meroe, the capital, which includes the town and cemetery site, and Musawwarat es-Sufra and Naqa, two associated settlements and religious centres. The Meroe cemetery, Musawwarat es-Sufra, and Naqa are located in a semi-desert, set against reddish-brown hills and contrasting with the green bushes that cover them, whilst the Meroe town site is part of a riverine landscape.

These three sites comprise the best preserved relics of the Kingdom of Kush, encompassing a wide range of architectural forms, including pyramids, temples, palaces, and industrial areas that shaped the political, religious, social, artistic and technological scene of the Middle and Northern Nile Valley for more than 1000 years (8th century BC-4th century AD). These architectural structures, the applied iconography and evidence of production and trade, including ceramics and iron-works, testify to the wealth and power of the Kushite State. The water reservoirs in addition contribute to the understanding of the palaeoclimate and hydrological regime in the area in the later centuries BCE and the first few centuries CE.

Criterion (ii) : The Archaeological Sites of the Island of Meroe reflect the interchange of ideas and contact between Sub-Saharan Africa and the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern worlds, along a major trade corridor over a very long period of time. The interaction of local and foreign influences is demonstrated by the preserved architectural remains and their iconography.

Criterion (iii) : The property with its wide range of monument types, well preserved buildings, and potential for future excavation and research, contributes an exceptional testimony to the wealth and power of the former Kushite state and its extensive contacts with African, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern societies. The Kushite civilization was largely expunged by the arrival of Christianity on the Middle Nile in the 6th century CE.

Criterion (iv) :The pyramids at Meroe are outstanding examples of Kushite funerary monuments, which illustrate the association with the well preserved remains of the urban centre of the Kushite capital city, Meroe. The architectural remains at the three site components illustrate the juxtaposition of structural and decorative elements from Pharaonic Egypt, Greece, and Rome as well as from Kush itself, and through this represent a significant reference of early exchange and diffusion of styles and technologies.

Criterion (v) : The major centres of human activity far from the Nile at Musawwarat and Naqa raise questions as to their viability in what is today an arid zone devoid of permanent human settlement. They offer the possibility, through a detailed study of the palaeoclimate, flora, and fauna, of understanding the interaction of the Kushites with their desert hinterland.

The three site components selected represent the capital city of the Kushite kingdom, Meroe, with its associated extensive burial grounds of pyramid tombs, and the kingdom’s two largest hinterland centres, Musawwarat es-Sufra and Naqa. Together they provide evidence of the size, and influence of the Kushite civilization at the height of power.

Although many features of the site have deteriorated over the course of time, including the collapse of several pyramid tombs, inappropriate interventions which reduced the integrity of the site have not occurred since the treasure hunting of Ferlini in the 1830s, which was very deleterious to some of the pyramids in the Meroe cemeteries. The main north-south highway linking Khartoum and Port Sudan, which separated the two parts of the Meroe site has negative visual and auditory impact on the integrity of the property, as does the line of high voltage power transmission along its route.

Authenticity

Although at large the authenticity in terms of the attributes of material, design and substance is acceptable, conservation works at several temples and pyramids were based on large-scale reconstructions, including introduction of new materials, or anastylosis, which affected the authenticity of these features. However, considering the overall number of significant features on-site, the percentage of reconstructed or reassembled structures is comparatively small and does not impact on a general conception of authenticity.

At the site component of Meroe, archaeological research activities, primarily by foreign scholars since the late 19th century, have left large spoil heaps, which impact adversely on the authenticity of the setting.

Protection and management requirements

The property is protected under the provisions of article 13 (5) of the Interim Constitution of the Republic of Sudan of 2005, and under the Antiquities Protection Ordinance of 1905, amended in 1952 and most recently in 1999, which confers it the status of national monument. It is also protected by Presidential Decree (no. 162 of 2003) which established a natural reserve around the site and established the management committee. The reserve declared under this Decree encompasses the three site components and their complete buffer zones.

Although formally managed by a Committee involving a variety of stakeholders, the property is factually managed by the National Corporation of Antiquities and Museums (NCAM), which involves a field work section responsible for site supervision and coordination of the foreign archaeological missions. A technical office for supervision is located at Shendi, about 40km from Meroe and 60 km from Musawwarat es-Sufra and Naqa, where a resident site manager has been appointed. Security guards and police men supervise the property on a daily basis.

To ensure the requirement of a shared overarching management authority for serial properties, a management committee has been established and a chairperson appointed. Following the management plan drafted and approved in 2009, this management committee shall be supported by an executive World Heritage Site management team, which will oversee the implementation of the management plan strategies and actions. Financial provisions and staff are essential for the establishment of this team and the implementation of the management plan. As part of the future implementation of the management plan, it is necessary to develop conservation approaches based on best practice to avoid repeating some of the less fortunate techniques and methods used in the past.

  • Google Arts & Culture: Story
  • Meroe Centre's YouTube channel

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Interactive: Explore Sudan's pyramids of Meroe

INTERACTIVE_Google Meroe_Landscape 2

Khartoum, Sudan – Google announced today the launch of a new immersive digital experience on Google Arts & Culture, published exclusively on Al Jazeera, that will bring the world closer to the last capital of the Kushite Kingdom, its influential dynasties, and its cultural heritage.

Viewers will be able to explore the Pyramids of Meroë in Sudan, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage site, in great detail by virtually walking through the structural wonders built more than two thousand years ago.

The experience can also be customised and brought into whatever landscape you want, whether it's in your own home or your favourite park, by using augmented reality (AR).

Using Google's Street View panoramic technology, viewers will be able to zoom in on ancient inscriptions and make sense of the thousand-year-old languages and craftsmanship.

INTERACTIVE_Google Meroe_Landscape 5

The Meroë experience, which is available in multiple languages including English, Arabic, German, French and Spanish, hosts an ode to Sudan voiced by renowned Sudanese-American poet Emi Mahmoud, and allows people to learn more about the Kushite Kingdom, its kings and queens, and the architecture behind the pyramids.

The Nubian pyramids of Sudan

Nubian Pyramids Sudan Photoneer Intro Africa

Explore the pyramids of Meroe

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A collection of nearly 200 ancient pyramids stand along the banks of the Nile River in a desert in eastern Sudan. They have been the tombs of kings and queens, rulers of the Meroitic Kingdom for nearly 1000 years. Within the north of Sudan, in an area of the Nile valley known as Nubia. The Nubian pyramids of Sudan of Meroë were said to have been built by the rulers of these ancient Kushite kingdoms, known as the “black pharaohs”. The five Kushite pharaohs ruled Egypt from Nubia to the Mediterranean Sea from around 760 B.C. to 650 B.C.

The 35 pyramids grouped in five sites discovered in Sudan remain a huge attraction for Sudan’s tourists. The industry ravaged the effects of economic sanctions imposed throughout the country’s civil war and the conflict in Darfur. The country now receiving fewer than 15,000 tourists per year. This is only 10% of the numbers of tourists it received in the past.

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.

Sudan has more ancient pyramids than Egypt

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.

Showing the relationship between the African civilizations, the Kushite pyramids depict bilateral trade, movement of people and knowledge. 

Kerma was Nubia’s first centralized state with its own indigenous architecture and burial traditions. Nubia’s Napata and Meroë kingdoms were influenced by ancient Egypt. While influenced culturally, economically, politically, and in matters of military, they also competed strongly with Egypt in these fields.

The first three sites are located around Napata in Lower Nubia, near the modern town of Karima. Fourteen pyramids were constructed for their renowned warrior queens. Later Napatan pyramids were sited at Nuri, the burial place of 21 kings and 52 queens and princes including Anlami and Aspelta. They were placed in huge granite sarcophagi, some lids alone weighing four tons. The oldest and largest pyramid at Nuri is that of the Napatan king and Twenty-fifth Dynasty pharaoh Taharqa.

Meroë, the burial site of over forty queens and kings is the most extensive Nubian pyramid site. 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.

In the 1830s Giuseppe Ferlini, an Italian soldier turned treasure hunter, raided and demolished over 40 Meroitic pyramids. Returning home, Ferlini tried to sell the treasure but nobody believed that such high quality jewellery could be made in Africa. Today these priceless treasures rest in the State Museum of Egyptian Art of Munich and the Egyptian Museum of Berlin.

About the Film Producer Thomas Markert – The Photoneer.de

Thomas Markert created this beautiful short film about the Nubian pyramids and temples of Sudan in Meroë. Through video he depicting his journey from Khartoum and the kind and generous people and photogenic camels he met along the way. Thomas gives us insight into these fascinating and mostly unknown treasures of the modern and ancient worlds.

Travelling became my hobby when I met my wife. Together, we visited many countries in Eastern and Southern Europe. When she was working in South Sudan our focus shifted to Africa. I realised that I had a wrong idea of these countries that are falsely known mostly for war, genocide and famine from the European media. The hospitality and kindness of people we’ve met, combined with the unspoiled nature sparked the desire in me to discover this continent that is highly misunderstood in my part of the world. Thomas Markert
  • Historical  1
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  • Largest city : Omdurman
  • Capital : Khartoum
  • Population : 41.8 million (2018)
  • Currency : Sudanese pound
  • Points of interest : Country in North Africa
  • Official languages : Arabic, English
  • Ease of doing business 2019 : 171

Photoneer.de Thomas Markert

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  • How to Visit the Meroe Pyramids, Naqa and Musawwarat es-Sufra

This travel guide contains everything you need to know to visit the Meroe Pyramids and the temples of Naqa and Musawwarat es-Sufra independently.  It contains detailed information on what to see, how to travel to the sites with public transport, where possible, where to stay, and dangers to look out for.  

The Meroe region contains the most spectacular sights of Sudan and no trip to the country is complete without a visit.  The Meroe Pyramids, Naqa and Musawwarat es-Sufra collectively form a UNESCO world heritage site known as the Island of Meroe.

There are three major attractions in this region of Sudan – the Meroe Pyramids and two areas of temples: Naqa and Musawwarat es-Sufra.  Here’s what to see while you’re there.

Me and three Sudanese friends in traditional costumes with camels drinking at an oasis in the background.

Hanging out with colourful new friends at the Great Hafir

The Meroe Pyramids

The Meroe Pyramids were the main burial site for the kings and queens of the Kushite kingdom for around one thousand years.  They are the most famous tourist site in the country, which is not saying a lot in Sudan.  When I was there we didn’t see any other tourists and only one local hawking souvenirs.  If this was in Egypt, it would have been heaving with tourists.

There are various pyramids scattered throughout the desert in the Meroe area.   The main site is the northern cemetery, which was used by the royal family from around 300 BC to 350 AD.  Its location on a small hill elevates it above the desert and makes it truly spectacular.  The wavy red sand also adds to the intense beauty of the area, especially at sunset and sunrise.  

As with the Barkal pyramids , the tops of most of the Meroe pyramids were destroyed by Guiseppe Ferlini, an Italian treasure hunter, in the 19th century.  A few of the smaller ones have been restored rather badly and now appear to be made of concrete, but the majority retain their original beauty.  

The pyramids of Meroe standing in the copper-coloured sand

The copper hue of the drifting sand is almost as beautiful as the pyramids themselves.

Layout of the Meroe Pyramids and Directions

The main site is clearly marked on Maps.Me and Google Maps .  This is actually the North Cemetery, although Google rather confusingly labels it as the East Necropolis.  It’s about 1.5km to the east of the main road, and you can easily walk along the rough desert tracks to it (bring plenty of water).  

Aside from the main site, there are other pyramids and tombs scattered throughout the desert.  A second group is located a short distance to the west of the main road, at coordinates 16.932354, 33.728922 ( here on Google Maps ).  

Me standing in front of one of the pyramids of Meroe with the sunsetting in the background.

Sunset is a great time to experience the pyramids of Meroe.

Entrance Tickets to the Meroe Pyramids

The ticket price is officially $20 per person, but the ticket office is gradually being swallowed by sand from the desert and doesn’t appear to have been manned since the beginning of the pandemic.  

When we were there, a local man approached us hawking souvenirs.  When we didn’t buy any, he started asking us to buy tickets (which of course he didn’t actually have).  In the end we gave him $10 for the two of us partly just to leave us in peace to watch the sunset and partly as a contribution to the local economy.  

How to get to the Meroe Pyramids

The Meroe Pyramids are located in the desert off the main highway between Khartoum and Atbara.  To get there independently, there are two options:

Public bus : Buses depart from both Khartoum and Atbara in the early mornings.  Just tell your driver that you want to get off when you are near the Meroe Pyramids.  You’ll probably have to buy a ticket for the full journey, which is around $10.  From Shendi, there are minibuses heading north to Atbara.  Again you’ll probably have to buy a ticket all the way to Atbara.  I’m not sure of the price, but it should be around $5.  

In Atbara, buses depart from the main bus station at 17.688227, 33.999192 ( here on Google Maps ).  In Khartoum and Omdurman, you can buy a ticket from any bus ticket office and there are various pickup locations across the city.  

Hitchhiking : Hitchhiking is generally easy in Sudan and, as this is the main road between Khartoum and both Atbara and Port Sudan, there is a lot of traffic, so finding a ride is easy.  Many of our rides were on trucks and the drivers were always very friendly and helpful, although the trucks were very slow.  Hitchhiking is an especially good option for getting back to one of the cities after visiting the Meroe Pyramids, as there are less buses in the evenings.

Me, standing a distance in front of two of the Pyramids of Meroe with the golden sands rolling away behind me.

Can’t get enough of this beautiful place.

Me standing next to two very pointed pyramids that have been renovated

A few of the pyramids have been renovated so much that they appear to be made of concrete. Luckily only a few are like this though and they don’t detract from the beauty of the others.

What to see at Musawwarat es-Sufra

There are three interesting sites to visit at Musawwarat es-Sufra, all within a short walking distance of each other:

The Great Enclosure

  • The Apedemak (Lion Temple)
  • The Great Hafir

The first two are ancient archaeological sites and form part of an ancient Meroitic temple complex built in the 3rd century BC.  Detailed information about these sites can be found on the official Musawwarat es-Sufra archeological mission Website . 

No one is quite sure what the Great Enclosure was used for (hence the extremely generic name).  However, there are many theories.  One of the most interesting, based on the large number of statues of elephants it contains, is that it may have been an elephant training centre.  Archeologists have also identified the remains of three probable temple sites within the complex.

The Great Enclosure is the largest of all the individual sites at Musawwarat es-Sufra and Naqa, at about 45,000 square metres.  The main features are a series of pillars, the aforementioned statues of elephants and some intricate pharaonic-style carvings.  There’s also a small museum in a shed at the back with a collection of statues and other artefacts from the site, protected by metal bars.  

Me holding an elephant statue with a row of pillars in the background.

One of the beautifully carved elephant status at the Great Enclosure.

A shed containing a collection of statues with a metal mesh at the front to stop people entering.

The little museum at the Great Enclosure.

The Lion Temple is better preserved than the Great Enclosure and contains some beautiful reliefs featuring lions and elephants.  It has been extensively renovated.  Inside, there are some monolithic pillars and a sacrificial altar.  The Lion Temple is surrounded by a fence, so to enter you will need to ask the locals to unlock the gate for you.  

Anna standing next to the altar inside the Apedemak with four monolithic columns in the foreground.

Anna contemplates who to sacrifice next at altar of the Apedemak, Musawwarat es-Sufra.

I sit between two lion statues missing heads at the entrance to the Apedemak

Two headless lions guard the entrance to the Apedemak, Musawwarat es-Sufra.

The Great Hafir (Great Reservoir)

The Great Hafir is often overlooked by travellers and I hadn’t come across it in my research before visiting.  However, it was a definite highlight.  The original reservoir was built around 2,500 years ago and was 150m wide and 15m deep.  However, it’s since been expanded to 250m wide and the embankments that surround it are now 8m high.  

The best thing about the Great Hafir is that it’s still in use today.  When we were there, a group of locals were using it to water their herd of around thirty camels.  They were extremely friendly and very happy for us to take photos of them and their herd.  Our local driver and his friends told us that camels have little practical value in Sudan today, but are considered a status symbol.  The owner of the herd must have been very rich (and presumably very proud) to have so many.

Local tribesmen watering a herd of camels at the Great Hafir.

Local people still use the 2,500 year old Great Hafir to water their herds of camels.

Entrance Tickets for Musawwarat es-Sufra

There was no formal entrance ticket for Musawwarat es-Sufra when we were there.  However, not long after we arrived, a group of locals turned up in a pickup and aggressively asked our local driver and his friends for money to be at the site.  At one point it looked as though there could have been a physical altercation.  However, after a lot of haggling, we agreed that we foreigners would pay $5 each (the locals enter for free).  

The entrance fee is unofficial, but I think it’s fair enough that the locals want to receive something from tourists visiting a site in their area, especially given the obvious poverty in which they live.  After we had paid, they became very friendly and unlocked the gate so that we could enter the Lion Temple.  The camel herders also asked us for money, but we said we had already given money to one of the other locals, and they dropped the topic.

What to See at Naqa

There are four interesting sites to visit at Naqa, all within a short walking distance of each other:

The Temple of Amun

  • The Roman Kiosk
  • A local well

The first three are ancient archaeological sites and form part of the ancient city of Naqa, an important trading post in the Kushitic Kingdom of Meroë.  The final one is a modern addition to the list that we came across completely by accident and that turned out to be fascinating.

Me and a local friend standing between two rows of ram statues at the Temple of Amun

The rows of ram statues at the entrance to the Temple of Amun are the most impressive sight in Naqa.

The Temple of Amun is an Egyptian-style temple built by King Natakamani around 2,000 years ago.  The guy must’ve had quite an ego, because he also built several statues of himself.  The most impressive part of this temple is the rows of ram statues that flank the entrance way.  

The Apedemak (Lion Temple) and Roman Kiosk

The Lion Temple and Roman Kiosk sit together a couple of hundred metres from the Temple of Amun.  The Lion Temple is built in the Kushite style and features some beautiful reliefs.  The Roman Kiosk, which is also a temple, is interesting because the style is quite different from the other temples in the area.  Although the entrance is Egyptian, the Corinthian columns and window arches are Roman.  

An ornately carved temple standing in the desert.

The reliefs of the Apedemak (Lion Temple) in Naqa are stunning and well-preserved.

The cuboid Roman Kiosk with the Apedemak in the background.

The Roman Kiosk is a heady mix of architectural styles, but what really struck me about it is its unique cuboid shape.

The Local Well

Just next to the temples is a modern well used by locals to collect water.  While this might seem a strange addition to the list of places to visit, for me it was a highlight, as it gives a glimpse into the everyday lives of local Sudanese people living in one of the harshest environments on earth.  

When we were there, a group of local men were drawing water from the well using leather pouches.  They lower the pouches down and then swing them back and forth a few times to fill them with water.  As they’re now too heavy to pull back up by hand, donkeys are attached to the ends of the rope and made to walk away from the well to draw the pouches back up.  

Be careful not to slip – the depth of the well is incredible.  The donkeys walk almost 100m before the pouch reappears at the surface.  Drawing water in this way is time consuming work, but at least it gives people access to fresh groundwater.  

The well is located between the Temple of Amun and the Lion Temple at coordinates 16.269428, 33.273783 ( here on Google Maps ).  

Local men clustered around a well with a wooden contraption over it to hang water pouches.

Local men raise water from the well while listening the radio in the 40 degree desert heat.

A donkey drinking from a small puddle with other donkeys in the background.

Donkeys are used to pull the water pouches from the deep well and to transport the water drums to where they’re needed.

Entrance Tickets for Naqa

There is a manned Police station at the entrance to the Naqa site and the Police mentioned the entrance fees when we arrived.  However three Policemen wanted to travel to Shendi and didn’t have their own transport.  We gave them a lift back when we left and the topic of the entrance fee was dropped.  If you are asked for a fee, negotiate to a level that you are comfortable with (I usually aimed for $5 per person).  

The Police also checked our passports and visas, so make sure you have these on you (as you always should in Sudan).  

How to get to Naqa and Musawwarat es-Sufra

Naqa and Musawwarat es-Sufra are the most difficult places to travel to independently in Sudan, as they’re located about 30-40km off the main highway along desert roads with virtually no traffic.  The roads are so rough that you really need a 4×4.  I read about one backpacker who went with a local in a small car and ended up paying extra for repairs afterwards.  

The most cost-effective way to visit these sites is by going to Shendi and asking around.  We stayed at a very local hotel and got lucky, because a friend of the owners agreed to take us for $70.  We thought this was expensive, but when we returned, it turned out there had been confusion between the hotel owners and the driver, who thought we were paying $140.  He took the $70 as agreed, but said he couldn’t do the trip again at that price – the cost of fuel and repairs in Sudan is too high.  

That said, try your luck by asking around.  You might get lucky like we did.  I wouldn’t try going there by hitchhiking, because there is practically no traffic on the desert roads and there’s a real risk of ending up stranded there.  Even the cops at the small Police station in Naqa had no transport.

A rought road through the scrubby desert with a mountain in the background.

Part of the road to Musawwarat es-Sufra (and not one of the worst parts). A 4×4 is essential to reach these sites.

Suggested Itineraries

There are several possible itineraries for visiting the sights of the Meroe region.  Here are the options I suggest.

Two-Day Itinerary

The sights in the Meroe region can be comfortably covered in two days.  This is a relatively relaxed itinerary and will give you ample time at each site.  

Day 1 : Travel to the Meroe pyramids in the morning with plenty of food and water, spend the afternoon there and watch the sunset.  In the evening, hitchhike to Shendi and spend the night there.

Day 2 : Get up early in the morning and visit Naqa and Musawwarat es-Sufra by private vehicle.

The main challenge with this itinerary is that you’ll need to arrange transport to Naqa and Musawwarat es-Sufra on the evening of day 1 or morning of day 2.  The easiest, but possibly most expensive, way to do this is through your hotel.  If you get really stuck, the EI Kawther Hotel can arrange tours, but they’re likely to cost you an arm and a leg.

Four camels standing in the desert

Few travellers visit the Great Hafir, which is a pity, because, let’s be honest, how could anyone resist these cuties?

One-Day Compressed Itinerary

If your time is constrained, it is possible to do both areas in one day.  You’d need to arrive in Shendi the night before and stay overnight.  Again, arrange transportation for Naqa and Musawwarat es-Sufra in the evening.  You’ll need to depart early (around 8am should be okay) to spend the morning at the temples.  

You’ll likely get back to Shendi around 2-3pm.  Ask the driver to drop you on the edge of the main highway just before he turns off towards the town (a good location is 16.659629, 33.449481, here on Google Maps ).  You’re unlikely to find a bus at this time, but it’s not difficult to hitchhike the 45km from here to the Meroe Pyramids.  After watching the sunset at the Meroe Pyramids, you can hitchhike either south to Khartoum or north to Atbara.  

Meroe Pyramids Only Itinerary

Many people skip Naqa and Musawwarat es-Sufra either due to the expense of hiring a vehicle to get there or because they don’t want to deal with the hassle.  In this case, you can do the Meroe Pyramids as a day trip from either Khartoum or Atbara.  

An ornately carved relief

One of the beautiful reliefs at the Apedemak in Musawwarat es-Sufra.

Accommodation in the Meroe Area

The Meroe Pyramids are on the highway between Atbara and Shendi, so either is convenient for overnighting before or after your visit.  For Naqa and Musawwarat es-Sufra, by far the nearest town is Shendi.  Accommodation options are as follows:

Atbara : The two main areas for accommodation are near the market or near the bus terminal.  We stayed near the bus terminal on our last day in the area, so that we could catch an early bus to Port Sudan the next day (most long-distance buses leave early in the morning).  There are many hotels nearby and local people will be more than happy to tell you your options.  We asked the bus ticket seller and he recommended several.  

We stayed at a budget hotel called Apraa opposite the bus station.  It was $14.50 for a double room, but I wouldn’t recommend it.  It was dirty and there were bed bugs (our second encounter with the little beasts in Sudan).  

Shendi : We stayed at a budget apartment hotel for $16.30.  It was basic, but clean and didn’t have bed bugs, so it was fine for us.  The location is at approximately 16.693951, 33.430328 ( here on Google Maps ).  It’s on the second floor of a building that looks like an apartment building from the outside, but ask around on the street and someone will show you where to go.  

A slightly more upmarket option, which we visited first but didn’t stay at, is the EI Kawther Hotel .  This is a much more professional operation with prices to match.  They also charge different rates to foreigners ($40 a night for a double room) and Sudanese ($18.10 per night).

Where to Eat in the Meroe Area

We were travelling during Ramadan, so food options were extremely limited, especially during the day.  That said, during the evening we spent in Shendi, we did find one very nice outdoor eatery with meat and fresh juices.  A meal for two was about $5 and fresh juices $1.40 each.  Be very clear if you don’t want sugar in the juice, otherwise it will be very very sweet.  The location is 16.693717, 33.429655 ( here on Google Maps ).

In Atbara, we ate at a local place, which was not bad but nothing special, near the bus station.  The location is 17.689014, 33.997218 ( here on Google Maps ).  However, there are more options around the main market.  

An outdoor market with pieces of meat hanging up and local people eating at tables.

Great food and a great atmosphere at an outdoor restaurant in Shendi.

A local meal of goat and bread.

One of the best meals we had during our first week in Sudan. During Ramadan we didn’t even find restaurants in some Nubian villages, so this was amazing.

3 cups of tea on a metal tray with a bowl of incense next to it.

Tea is plentiful in Sudan and often served with a bowl of incense on the side to keep the mosquitoes at bay.

Safety in the Meroe Area

Most people say that Sudan is an extremely safe country, and generally it is.  However, the economic situation is currently dire and many people have migrated to the cities in search of work, which they can’t necessarily find.  Some people are desperate and it appears that crime has increased as a result.  

The most serious incident we encountered happened to our friend from South Africa, who was trying to hitchhike from the outskirts of Atbara to Port Sudan at dusk.  As it was Ramadan, when the sun set, most people stopped to eat iftar (the meal to break the daytime fast) and so the area where he was trying to hitch a ride was deserted.  Five boys with machetes accosted him and stole his phone and wallet.  They also tried to take his backpack (where his passport was), but luckily a truck driver saw what was happening and chased them away. 

We also encountered some other more minor incidents:

  • A young boy (probably early teens) in Shendi’s main market threw a piece of fruit at Anna.  It hit her in the head, although not hard enough to cause serious injury.
  • When I refused to give money to a child who was begging in Atbara near the bus station, he picked up a stone from the ground.  As he raised his arm to throw it at me, a man intervened and stopped him.
  • In the evening, from the hotel window, I saw some men bundling some other men into the back of a pickup.  One of them was tied up and the other men repeatedly punched him.  

I don’t think Sudan is a dangerous country, but exercise caution, especially around the Atbara/Shendi areas, and avoid walking around alone at night.  

Two local guys standing by the beautifully carved entrance to the Apedemak in Naqa.

Chilling in the shade at the entrance to the Apedemak in Naqa.

More About Sudan

Sudan is a beautiful and unique country, but not the easiest place to travel.  Check out my other Sudan guides for everything you need to know to backpack independently around this crazy country:

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  • How to Visit Kassala and Hike the Taka Mountains

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visit sudan pyramids

The Nubian Pyramids: What To Know About Pyramids Along The Nile

The Nubian Pyramids are often forgotten about but they are ancient and predate the Romans.

One of the most important things to remember when studying history is that nothing happens in a vacuum. Everything happens in the wider context of its world. The Egyptians built their massive and age-honored pyramids down the Nile, but upstream were the Nubians with whom they had trade and cultural links and sometimes warred.

Nubia is intimately entwined with that of Egypt. When Egypt was strong it often influenced or ruled Nubia. When it was weak, Nubia was independent and expanded its territory into southern Egypt. The border between Egypt and Sudan is home to the largest unclaimed tract of land outside Antarctica (called the Bir Tawil triangle).

Nubia's Shared History With Egypt

After the fall of the 24th Egyptian dynasty in around 1,000 BC, the Nubian Kingdom of Kush became a leading power in the region. Between 712 and 657 BC Kushite kings ruled over much of Egypt.

  • Ruled Egypt: Between 712 and 657 BC The Nubians Ruled Much of Egypt
  • Kush: The Lands Of Nubia Were Known As Kush to The Egyptians

The Nubians had the ancient Kushite kingdoms - although the region of the Nile valley is known as Nubia. Today this region is the northern part of what is today Sudan. The Nubians were heavily influenced by the Egyptians downstream of the Nile, and so they set about building their own pyramids.

The Nubian pyramids are located where three Kushite kingdoms once reigned. These kingdoms spanned the periods 2,500 to 1,500 BC, 1,000 to 300 BC, and 300 BC to 300 AD. Today they are World Heritage-listed.

The Nubian Pyramids

The Nubian pyramids are made out of granite and sandstone and were built around 800 years after the Egyptians stopped building their pyramids. The first pyramid was built at El Kurru in 751 BC - making it around 2,770 years old.

While none of the Nubian pyramids are close to the size of the largest Egyptian pyramids, there are twice as many Nubian pyramids still standing today as Egyptian pyramids.

  • Twice: There are Twice As Many Nubian Pyramids Today As Egyptian Pyramids
  • 50: Around 50 Nubia Pyramids Exist Today

They were built over a period of a few hundred years and were used as tombs for the kings and queens (as well as the wealthy citizens) of the Nubian kingdoms. They are found mostly at three sites the oldest of which is located near the modern town of Karima around Napata in Lower Nubia.

The pyramids at Nuri are a necropolis that includes the burial of 21 kings and 52 queens and princes

  • Queens: Some Queens Entombed were Renowned Warrior Queens

Related: Here Are Some Theories On How The Egyptian Pyramids Were Built

Visiting The Nubian Pyramids

It should be noted that the US Department of State has a travel warning against visiting Sudan as of the time of writing (April 2022). Instead, browse online galleries of these remarkable pyramids (like on Al Jazeera )

Do not travel to Sudan due to civil unrest. Reconsider travel due to crime, terrorism, kidnapping, and armed conflict . US Department of State

For those who know and accept the risks of traveling in Sudan, there are a number of organized tours to these ancient monuments overshadowed by the great pyramids of Egypt. It is better to have one's whole trip organized unless one is an experienced traveler.

For non-Americans, it should be noted that traveling to Sudan will render one not eligible to travel to the United States visa-free. One will need to get a standard US visa afterward to visit America.

Related: The Safest African Countries To Visit (And The Most Dangerous)

Examples of Tour Options

Luxury Tour:

Geographic Expedition offers their Ancient Riches of Sudan's Nubian Desert tour . This is a luxury group tour for 12 days of the country.

In this tour, one will explore the pyramids, temples, tombs, and hieroglyphics of the ancient Nubians, learn about the Black Pharaohs, experience a henna ceremony, stay at a desert camp, and meed nomads with their camel caravans.

  • Duration: 12 Days
  • Group Trips: From $7,830 per person

Budget Tour:

For those looking for a more budget tour of Sudan then Young Pioneers offers their Sudan Nubian Legends & Bir Tawil Incursion Tour . On this tour, one will see the rich history of a land overshadowed by Egypt. Explore ancient pyramids and necropolises, haggle in busy markets, and meet the locals of this very off-the-tourist-radar country (not that there's much of a "tourist radar" in Sudan in the first place).

There are two options for an 8-day tour and a 13-day tour.

  • Price : €1500 ($16,500) / €2500 ($2,750)
  • Duration: 8 days / 13 days

happy irish wanderers

Ultimate Sudan Travel Guide- Getting to the Meroe Pyramids.

happyers

  • April 24, 2023

Ask people what country has the most pyramids in the world, mistakenly many people will say Egypt .

Fair enough, Egypt is very famous for its massive pyramids. But the honor of the country with the most pyramids is in fact Sudan!

Over 220 of these structures were built there, nearly twice the amount in Egypt. Arguably, the most famous of them all are – The Meroe Pyramids.

Unfortunately, Sudan tourism is pretty much nonexistent. That makes it pretty hard to get to certain attractions.

The Meroe Pyramids (pronounced Merowee) are located in the middle of nowhere. There are many different stories online about other travelers getting to the pyramids. All had different versions and experiences and this is our version of how we got there.

Most Pyramids In The World Are in Sudan - The Best Is The Meroe Pyramids Happy Irish Wanderers

Table of Contents

What Was Meroe Pyramids Known For?

Now we know that Sudan has the most pyramids in the world, let’s talk about their most famous pyramids – The Meroe Pyramids . and how to see them.

The Meroë Pyramids are a complex of nearly 200 small pyramids built between 2,700 and 2,300 years ago.

Once upon a time, this ground was host to the capital of The Kingdom of Kush in the ancient lands of Nubia .

Today the lands of Nubia are Northern Sudan and the southern part of Egypt. In Luxor, the Nubian influence and people can still be found.

visit sudan pyramids

The Kingdom of Kush hosted one of the earliest civilizations known to mankind, building large cities and trading luxury items such as gold, gemstones, and ivory. And like their Egyptian neighbors, they built tombs for their dead kings and queens.

The city no longer exists, with depleted soil and invasions it was abandoned and slowly Meroe crumbled away. The last bit of remaining evidence of this ancient kingdom is the Meroe Pyramids

Basically, the Meroe Pyramids are a massive graveyard of tombs for ancient kings and queens!

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  • Book your Hotel:  Find the best prices on hotels check out Booking.com and don’t forget to book through TopCashBack for extra % off.
  • Rent your Car : Discovercars is the best website to compare all car rental companies and score the best deal for you. There are all sorts of vehicles available, from small-budget cars to large family saloons, or perhaps even a 4×4.
  • Book your Travel Insurance like us with WorldNomads . They have the best fine print of all travel insurance companies and are number one for a reason.

How To Visit The Meroe Pyramids

There are many different stories of how travelers got to the Meroe Pyramids, this is how we did it.

We decided to make our way from Khartoum to the closest town near the Pyramids, a town called Shendi .

Getting there will take 4 hours by bus from North Khartoum Bus Station . Just make sure you are in the correct bus station as Google Maps still shows the old location.

If you type in Moore Road North Khartoum you will see Central Market, where the new bus station is located.

Uber is not Available in Sudan but an alternative is Tirhal , the only difference being you pay the driver in cash.

visit sudan pyramids

Shendi is a town that is only 40 kilometers from the Meroe Pyramids. You would imagine there will be lots of choices of accommodation here……and you would be very wrong.

Would you believe there is only one place to stay in the town? A shite hotel that could be a real-life version of “The Shining” called Kawthar Hotel.

Just to make the establishment even more likable, it overcharges big time at 50 USD per night. Thanks to our negotiating skills we got that price down to 20.000 SDG (32 USD) which is still way too much for what the hotel offers.

Once you arrive in Shendi a tuk-tuk will charge you around 1000 SDG to the hotel. Shendi itself does not have much to offer except for a walk to explore the area and get a feel of the local life.

Most Pyramids In The World Are in Sudan - The Meroe Pyramids. Happy Irish Wanderers

There is a glamping site near the Meroe Pyramids run by an Italian company that also provides tours around Sudan for 200 USD a night. However, we simply couldn’t justify spending that amount of money.

Finally, Let’s Explore

Most Pyramids In The World Are in Sudan - The Best Is The Meroe Pyramids Happy Irish Wanderers

The next morning we got up at 5 AM to catch an early bus to Atbara , this is a town north of Shendi that passes by the Meroe Pyramids. You will be getting off the bus before the halfway mark but you will still have to pay the full price for a ticket which is 4000 SDG.

Just because you are now on the early bus doesn’t mean the bus will leave. The bus will only depart once it is filled up, so be prepared to wait a while, even a few hours.

Most Pyramids In The World Are in Sudan - The Best Is The Meroe Pyramids Happy Irish Wanderers

Finally, the bus is full and you are on your way. There are two main sites to visit, the smaller yet still interesting western area and the more famous eastern complex.

Your trip will only take around 40 minutes from Shendi to the western complex, so put a marker on Google Maps to know when to get off the bus.

Most Pyramids In The World Are in Sudan - The Meroe Pyramids. Happy Irish Wanderers

Once you are nearby get ready to ask your driver to stop in the middle of nowhere. Get off the bus and walk for around a kilometer and a half in a western direction.

On your way, you will be able to see the structures in the distance. Once you are finished exploring, travel back to the road and make your way to the main complex which will also be visible in the skyline.

You Have a Good Chance of Having The Entire Place to Yourself

Walking to the main complex you may encounter a local offering a camel ride, this will probably be the only human you will come across.

We read many stories about nobody else being at the main complex and the ticket office locked up. On this occasion that was exactly the case when we were there.

Most Pyramids In The World Are in Sudan - The Meroe Pyramids. Happy Irish Wanderers

In the case that there is somebody selling tickets on the day know that the official entrance fee is 20 USD per person but this can be haggled down to 10 USD.

Most Pyramids In The World Are in Sudan - The Meroe Pyramids. Happy Irish Wanderers

Luckily for us, we had this magnificent ancient complex all to ourselves with not a soul in sight.

This gave us plenty of time to explore the area at a leisurely pace. After about 2 hours we had seen it all and made our way back to the main road for the next challenge.

Getting Home

Seeing as you are stuck in the middle of nowhere you may think it is going to be impossible to get back to Shendi. There is a simple answer for this – Hitchhiking.

I know this sounds very dodgy and dangerous but it is actually a very safe thing to do in Sudan. You can either try and flag down a bus and hope for a seat or alternatively flag down a car. Some buses may charge you a fee.

visit sudan pyramids

The first car that drove past us stopped and immediately offered us a ride to Shendi. Once back in town we said our goodbyes and offered money that was refused by the driver.

Depending on the time you get back you may have to stay another night in “The Shining” or else catch a bus back to Khartoum. We choose the latter!

Tickets back to Khartoum are a bit more expensive at 4500 SDG per person and will stop at the same bus station in North Khartoum where you originally departed from. For the last step back to your accommodation you can take a Tirhal taxi.

Alternative Options for Getting to The Meroe Pyramids

As previously mentioned, we read many stories about how fellow travelers made their way to the pyramids. This was our experience. Some of the stories we read stated about getting a bus from Khartoum and traveling back on the same day. Personally, this sounds very difficult and risky due to the uncertainty around getting back to Khartoum.

The easiest option we read was a private driver from Khartoum who will drive you there. If money isn’t an issue then this choice would make the most sense.

Perhaps you can even consider staying at the nearby glamping site. However, at 200 USD per night, this was never going to happen for us budget travelers.

When to Visit The Pyramids

Sudan experiences extremely high temperatures. Because of the extreme temperatures, we highly recommend visiting in the morning time and in the winter months.

On the day we were there it was over 40 degrees Celsius in April. In fact, it was so hot that both our phones shut down due to the heat. At least we had taken some photos at that stage!

Most Pyramids In The World Are in Sudan - The Best Is The Meroe Pyramids Happy Irish Wanderers

Be prepared for some intense heat. Make sure you have plenty of water, a hat, a scarf, a long sleeve T-shirt, and sunscreen.

The Reality

Many travel blogs also say the best time to visit is for sunset and sunrise. Easy said if you have a private driver or are staying in a nearby camp.

Otherwise, this can be an unrealistic task and make the challenge of getting there and getting back even more difficult.

Was it Worth the Effort?

Traveling in Sudan is definitely a challenge and a country that is not recommended for everyone. It is a tough place to get to the next destination and Meroe Pyramids certainly put our patience to the test.

Seeing the pyramids in the skyline surrounded by dunes certainly created excitement. But to be honest the actual sight was a lot smaller than what we had expected. As well it seemed that many pyramids had been reconstructed.

Of course, we were delighted seeing this ancient site with our own eyes, especially exploring the entire place all to ourselves.

We have ticked off Meroë from our bucket list and had a really fun yet hard day. But unless you are a fanatic about pyramids and are willing to spend a lot of money traveling to Sudan we would not recommend traveling there just for the pyramids.

  • Sudan Pyramids – A Fascinating Country, But is it Worth Visiting?

Have you visited these historic wonders?

If so, please let us know how you got there so we can make the trip for the next travelers that small bit easier! If you have any questions feel free to ask or leave a comment below.

Slán go fóil

visit sudan pyramids

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A guide for traveling to Sudan: Itinerary + Travel tips

By Joan Torres 86 Comments Last updated on December 28, 2023

visit sudan pyramids

The streets were dusty and unpaved but it was the month of December, so a slight winter breeze produced a pleasant feeling. I felt like wandering around some villages settled along the Nile River, the shore of which is so fertile that, for a moment, I forgot that I was in the middle of the desert.

I desperately wanted to continue my journey to some villages located a few kilometers away, but the modest smiles, kindness, and hospitality of the Sudanese were blocking my way, as I was forced to have some tea every couple of meters.

The different smells and the women’s colorful dresses made me think that I was at the heart of the African continent but the sweets, sand dunes, camels and Arabic language, which is the official language in the country, invited me to believe that, perhaps, I was in the Middle East instead.

I went up to the top of a dune, from where, very thoughtful, I observed those incredible, off the beaten track pyramid ruins.

Welcome to Sudan, the land where, finally, the Middle East meets beautiful Africa

This guide for traveling to Sudan contains everything you need to know, including a complete 2-week itinerary, and tips regarding transportation, accommodation, visas and much more!

traveling to Sudan

In this Sudan travel guide you will find:

Table of Contents

  • COVID- 19 Travel Restrictions
  • Quick travel tips
  • Travel insurance for Sudan
  • Books for traveling to Sudan
  • Transportation in Sudan
  • Money – How much does it cost?
  • Sudan is an off the beaten track place
  • A 2-week travel itinerary
  • More Information

eSIM card for browsing when traveling in Sudan

With Holafly , you can now get an electronic SIM card for Sudan from home with just 2 clicks.

5% discount with the following code:

AGAINSTTHECOMPASS

😷 COVID-19 Travel restrictions for Sudan

On August 2nd, Sudan liften all COVID-related requirements but just in case, it’s recommended to have a vaccine certificate, in case the airline asks for it.

Travel Insurance for Sudan with COVID-19 coverage

IATI Insurance  is one of the few providers that offers full Coronavirus coverage, not only when it comes to treatment, but also cancellations costs in case you tested positive before departure.

And not only this, but it’s one of the few insurance providers that gives coverage for traveling to Sudan.

Readers of Against the Compass can get an exclusive 5% discount .

💡 Sudan travel guide – Quick useful tips for traveling to Sudan

Best time to travel to Sudan –   Sudan is one of the hottest countries in the world . If you really want to enjoy your trip to Sudan, you must go in winter, from November to February. The rest of the year, the heat is just unbearable, especially in summer. I went there in December and, at noon, the temperature reached over 34ºC. 

Is it safe to travel to Sudan? – With one of the lowest crime rates in the world today, the tourist part of Sudan is one of the safest areas in Africa. However, there are tribal conflicts in Darfur province (west) and near the border with South Sudan. This violence is quite far from the touristic routes and, in the unlikely event that you managed to get close to there, the violence would never target foreigners. For further details, check out my article: Is it safe to travel to Sudan?

Language – Arabic is the official language. Nevertheless, like in any African country, Sudan is also home to several different ethnicities who speak their own local language, as well. Basic English is spoken by a significant part of the population, especially those with a higher level of education. Communicating with people, as well as asking for directions, doesn’t impose any real problems when traveling in Sudan.

How to get there – Most people travel to Sudan overland, either from Egypt or Ethiopia. By plane, people tend to come from Cairo, Doha, Dubai or Addis Ababa. I entered Sudan from Egypt. For further information, check out my post: How to cross from Egypt to Sudan overland

travel Sudan

🪪 Visa for traveling to Sudan

You can get a visa in your home country, in Addis Ababa (capital of Ethiopia) and in Cairo and Aswan, Egypt. I got my visa in Aswan, a city located very close to the Sudanese border.

Once you are in Sudan, you also need to register and complete a few bureaucratic steps. 

For further details, check out my article: How to get a visa for Sudan

visit sudan pyramids

🚑 Travel Insurance for Sudan

Because of the sanctions, few insurance providers cover travel in Sudan. The one which does, however, is IATI Insurance , and I also recommend it for these reasons:

  • They have loads of different plans for all travelers: from families to budget backpackers
  • Full COVID-19 coverage
  • Covers for up to 1 year trips, good for overlanding around Africa
  • Readers of Against the Compass readers can get an  exclusive 5% discount

📚 Recommended books for traveling in Sudan

Sudan Travel Guide by Bradt –  I highly recommend buying the guide from Bradt, the best book guide about Sudan out there. Bradt Guides has the most insightful guides about the most off the beaten track destinations.

visit sudan pyramids

The Sudanese people

Traveling in Sudan is such an enriching experience, due to the multiple, endless interactions with people, whose kindness and hospitality are part of their culture, as much as their language is. Besides a couple of archaeological sites , Sudan lacks actual tourist sites. Sudan is about all the people with whom you’ll share uncountable cups of tea, coffee, meals and, occasionally, especially in small villages, you’ll be invited to stay at their houses.

By the way, be aware that, from a religious point of view, Sudan is a very conservative society , Sunni Islam being the main religion. If you really want to enjoy and experience people’s hospitality at its best, you should respect their habits and rules. Outside of Khartoum, you should always wear long pants. Never talk to women, unless spoken to first and, even if they talk to you, don’t dare take a picture of them, without asking for their permission, first. If you are a couple, say that you are married, even if you are not. Otherwise, they wouldn’t understand it, as in their society that would be unacceptable.

Read: A guide for traveling to Egypt (itinerary + tips)

Travel in Sudan

🛫 Transportation when traveling to Sudan

Remember to get travel insurance for Sudan IATI Insurance is one of the very few that covers travel in Sudan + COVID-19 5% discount if purchasing via this link

Public transportation –  Traveling around Sudan by public transport is pretty straightforward. Every day, throughout the day, from all cities, there are local minivans going in all directions. Prices are quite low and they leave once they are full. By the way, roads are in very good condition. 

Private Jeep – Many travelers prefer to hire a driver with a private jeep. I met a few foreigners who were traveling this way and, if you can afford it, you should know that it is very convenient, as you can visit many ruins which are very deep into the desert.

Hitchhiking – Very easy to hitch a ride.  Furthermore, since there’s practically only one road going in each direction, finding a vehicle going in the same direction as you is quite simple. 

Read: How to visit the Nubian pyramids of Sudan

travel to Sudan

💻 Internet and connectivity in Sudan

Internet – Since internet connection is practically non-existent, in Sudan, it’s advisable to plan your trip ahead. On several occasions, I wasn’t able to connect and had some trouble finding a place or trying to remember the name of a hotel. Outside the capital, especially in the north, Wi-Fi doesn’t exist and the only way to connect is through a SIM card, which works terribly slowly, meaning that you’ll barely be able to browse anything.

Khartoum is the only place where 3G works OK. Update February 2018 : According to Patrick from German Backpacker , 3G has improved, at least if you get an MTN Sim Card.

SIM Cards – They are sold everywhere. If you say you want a SIM Card, they might not understand you, so you should say: Shariha Sudani . A card should cost 5SDG, with a few calls. You need pay extra for having internet. There are several phone companies like  (Zain, MTN, and Sudantel), all of them offering different packages, always pretty cheap. MTN seems to be the most reliable one. Registration with your passport is always necessary.

eSIM for browsing, calling and traveling in Sudan

Basically, an eSIM is a regular SIM card with a digital format that works like a normal physical SIM card, with the added benefit that you can buy it from home before the beginning of your trip, hence avoiding the hassle of buying it at your destination. 

With Holafly , you can get a SIM Card for a wide range of destinations, including Sudan . 

Moreover, you can benefit from a 5% discount with the following code:  AGAINSTTHECOMPASS

Get a VPN for traveling in Sudan

You should always use a VPN when you travel, especially when you connect to public Wi-Fi networks.

Your connection will be much safer. 

Moreover, you will be able to access content which is typically censored in Sudan. 

I recommend ExpressVPN – Extremely easy to use, fast and cheap. 

If you want to learn more about VPN, check: Why you need a VPN for traveling .

💰 Money – How much does backpacking in Sudan cost?

Currency exchange.

Don’t exchange money at banks or official exchange offices.

Officially, the exchange rate is approximately:

1USD = 587 SDG

However, on the black market, in February 2018, the exchange rate was  1USD = 30SDG . You should always change on the black market. It’s better you change your money in Wadi Halfa, Khartoum or Sawakin, as you may have some troubles in exchanging money in the rest of the towns.

Please note that the exchange rate in Sudan is crazy and it keeps devaluating constantly. Prices provided in the following guide are correct in local currency but the USD exchange rate I provide may not be accurate.

Typical costs of backpacking in Sudan

In Sudan, one could easily travel for less than $20 a day. These are some of the most typical costs.

Note – I am using the USD/SDG exchange rate used on the black market.

Accommodation

Hostels – Dorms cost around 25SDG. Be aware that these aren’t hostels aimed at foreigners or backpackers but local Sudanese. They are extremely cheap but not very clean, unfortunately. 

Hotels – Mid-range hotels, where the Sudanese middle class stays, cost something between 100SDG and 175SDG.

A meal of foul costs 25SDG. If you order chicken, your bill would increase to 40-50SDG. A one-liter bottle of water costs 3SDG, whereas a cup of coffee costs 5SDG.

Transportation

These are the prices of some of the bus journeys I took:

Wadi Halfa to Abri (180km): 60SDG Abri to Dongola (230km): 80SDG Abri to Karima (200km): 60SDG

Sudanese money

🍲 Sudanese food

Unfortunately, the food is not the highlight of backpacking in Sudan. Foul , which is a sort of black bean soup with plenty of peanut oil, is the national dish and what you are going to eat every day, to the extent that you will really get sick of it! If you are lucky, surprisingly, in some places, they add some sort of local cheese on top of it. One piece of advice. When your order foul , tell the waiter: ” Mafi Zed ”, which means ”without oil”. 

Furthermore, in some places, grilled barbecue chicken can be found. Additionally, some restaurants in villages close to the Nile, also serve fried fish but, the day I ordered it, I saw that they had all the fish piled up in a dirty cupboard, without any sort of protection. For breakfast, it is relatively easy to find boiled eggs, accompanied by the delicious and strong Arabic coffee.

In Khartoum and Port Sudan, you can find a greater variety of food, including Western meals.

Read: Egypt off the beaten track

Sudanese foul, the staple food

🤔 Should you travel to Sudan? A real off the beaten track destination

Before backpacking in Sudan, you should know that this a real off the beaten track destination where tourism infrastructure is not even in an embryonic stage. Most of the country lacks tourist hotels and most restaurants are just simple shacks with very poor hygiene conditions. Internet connection is practically non-existent and you’ll barely meet other travelers or backpackers. My point is that, whereas Sudan is an unforgettable experience, this is not a country for beginner backpackers.

traveling in Sudan

📍 Sudan Travel Guide – Ultimate Sudan itinerary

This Sudan itinerary goes from the north (Wadi Halfa, Egyptian border) to the south (Sawakin, Ethiopian border), with a few detours to the Red Sea (Port Sudan) and the border with Eritrea (Kassala).

I was in Sudan a little longer than two weeks, entering from Egypt and ending my trip in Khartoum. I would say that 85% of the most interesting sites in the country are located between these two points and, if you manage your time well, you can easily visit these places in just two weeks . Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to visit Kassala and Port Sudan. If you want to visit them, you should add at least one extra week or ten days to your itinerary. 

2 weeks Sudan itinerary

Abri and the nubian villages, soleb temple.

  • Meroë / Shendi
  • Naqa and Musawwarat es-Sufra
  • Omdurman (Sufi dancing and the camel market)

Extending your Sudan itinerary

Map of the things to do in sudan.

If you come from Egypt, Wadi Halfa will be your first point of contact with Sudanese society. This small town doesn’t have anything interesting to offer travelers but you will have to spend your first night here, exchange some money and, basically, chill out for a bit after your hectic journey from Egypt. By the way, bear in mind that, unless you come from Egypt, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to visit Wadi Halfa, as this is a mere border city.

Where to stay in Wadi Halfa  – There are an endless number of basic hotels targeting local people coming from Egypt. Usually, these hotels offer rooms with five beds at 20-25SDG ($0.80 – $1.04). I stayed in Aleen Halfa . Be aware that these hotels are not very clean. Welcome to Sudan.

Read: How to cross from Egypt to Sudan overland

Wadi Halfa

The Nubians, one of the most ancient civilizations in Africa, are an ethnic group which originated in present-day Egypt and Sudan. The Nubians have a long history that dates back to the Egyptian pharaohs and they ruled Egypt during the 8th century B.C. The Nubians have strong cultural differences, identified in their literature, music and poetry, and they speak their own language, which, even though it’s hard to imagine, is a non-written language. Today, Nubian people live spread across southern Egypt and northern Sudan, established on the shores of the Nile river.

Abri is the main town and the perfect base from where to explore the villages around the area. You should just follow the river, hopping from village to village, through the foul and palm plantations. In my experience, Nubians are the most hospitable people in the country. Visiting those villages was the highlight of my trip to Sudan, not only because of people’s kindness but also, because of the landscape, as you see beautiful, large green fields flourishing in the middle of the desert, thanks to the fast-flowing river.

For more information, read: Tales of the Nubian people in Sudan

Where to stay in Abri – Megzoub Guest House – Definitely, this is the best guest house in Sudan. Megzoub is a great, wise man who offers double and single rooms with pretty clean toilets. However, his prices are quite high, compared to the country average. His rate may start at 250SDG ($10) but you could easily bring it down 100SDG ($4.10), at least for me and a friend who was there recently. You can contact Megzoub by calling any of his phone numbers: +249122886586 and +249911220984.

How to get to Abri from Wadi Halfa – There are minivans which leave at every hour, starting from quite early in the morning. Price: 60SDG ($2.50)

visit Sudan

One of the most well-preserved ruins in the country and, founded by Amenhotep II, Soleb temple was built to worship Amun-Ra. It is claimed that the architect might have been Amenhotep, son of Apu, whose mortuary temple can be found in Luxor . Soleb is located halfway to Dongola (the next destination after Abri). You could visit it on a day trip from Abri or on your way to Dongola

How to get from Soleb to Abri – Soleb is 50km from Abri. Megzoub, the owner of the guest house in Abri, can take you there in his car for 400SDG ($17, round trip). On the other hand, if you want to go by yourself, you should take a mini-van to Wawa. The temple is located on an island in the middle of the river. You can only get there by boat but there are local fishermen who can take you there cheaply. One-way bus ticket to Wawa is 20SDG costs ($0.80) and entering the temple 60SDG ($2.50).

Soleb temple - Photo by Ka Wing Chan

Dongola is a city which does not have much to offer the traveler. However, if you are heading from Abri to Karima, probably, you will probably have to spend one night here, as there is no direct transport and the minivan service that runs from Dongola to Karima doesn’t run until very late. In this city, there’s not much to do besides wandering around the main bazaar, eating grilled chicken and socializing with the locals.

Note that there is no direct transportation from Abri to Karima but you can get a direct bus from Wadi Halfa to Karima, without stopping in Dongola.

Where to stay in Dongola – Alnuallem  is the only good hotel in the city. It offers double rooms at 175SDG ($7.30). These are the coordinates: 19.172898 30.468067.

How to get to Dongola from Abri – There are frequent minivans, being the last one leaves at around 5 or 6 pm, but you should double check with Megzoub.  Price: 80SDG ($3.30).

Welcome to one of the most touristic spots in Sudan and where, probably, you’ll meet the first bunch of travelers (if you are coming from Egypt). Karima is a lovely area which is famous for being home to three of the most important archaeological sites in Sudan, containing a large number of Nubian pyramids, some of them in very good condition. The best about it is that you might have the pyramids just to yourself.

  • Jebel Barkal : The best-preserved group of pyramids and the site surrounded by the prettiest nature.
  • Nuri:  The pyramids from this site are in a deplorable state but that’s the beauty of them.
  • Al-Kurru:  Almost completely destroyed, as the locals took the stones to build their houses

For more information about the pyramids, read: How to visit the Nubian pyramids in Sudan

Where to stay in Karima – I stayed in Al-Nassr , a very simple hotel frequented by Sudanese. Price can be negotiated but I paid 100SDG ($4.10) for a double room with private bathroom. Update: In 2018, travelers are already paying 150SDG.   Another alternative would be a fancy guest house called Nubian Rest House , which has double semi-luxury rooms. However, I heard that they are now charging $220 for just one night. They are crazy and target people who travel on a tour. In the Nubian pyramids article I wrote, I provide further details about the location.

How to get to Karima from Dongola – The minivans leave from the morning, but as very few locals use that route, you might have to wait for a while until the bus is full. Price: 60SDG ($2.50).

should I travel to Sudan

Shendi is just a small, unattractive town which you can use as a base to visit the pyramids of Meroë . The most interesting part of Shendi is its lively bazaar.

How to get from Karima to Shendi –  To get there from Karima, you should first take a minivan to Atbara. They leave early in the morning and cost 130SDG ($5.40) for a 3-hour journey. From there, you can catch a 2-hour big bus to Shendi for 50SDG ($2.10). Alternatively, you could get off on the road, before getting to Atbara and hitchhike from there. That’s what I did.

Where to stay in Shendi – I didn’t stay but there’s a local hotel called El Kawther (16.696079, 33.424961), which is supposed to be good. Alternatively, you can also stay in a kind of apartment, which is close to where the bus dropped you, 50 meters from the green mosque. There’s no sign but it’s a pink building with many water tanks on top. It has fully furnished, 2-room apartments with fridge, TV, stove and pots. It costs around $10 per night, which can be split by several people.

The only proper touristy place, meaning that here you’ll find an archaeological site surrounded by a fence where they charge an entrance fee and there are locals selling souvenirs. The royal cemetery of Meroë is composed of 100 narrow pyramids spread across a vast desert of orange sand dunes. Most of them are quite well-preserved and, at the end of 2016, the site was still under restoration. Ticket price varies and it will depend on your negotiation skills. For more information, read:  How to visit the Nubian pyramids of Sudan

How to get to Meroë from Karima – The ruins of Meroë are located right next to the road, meaning that there is no direct bus going there. If you come straight from Karima, follow the same route as going to Shendi but get off 50km before. If you want to go from Shendi, take a bus to Kabushiya and then, you can easily hitchhike the remaining few kilometers.

Where to stay in Meroë -You have 5 options. First , you could stay in Khartoum and come to Meroë on a day trip, which is what most travelers do. Second , as I mentioned previously, you could stay in Shendi. Third , there are several resting places along the road between Atbara and Shendi, where the truck drivers spend the night for as little as 5SDG ($0.30). Basically, they have a bunch of deck chairs placed outside. I stayed here 🙂 Fourth , you may stay at the Meroe Tented Camp, which is a desert camp with relatively luxurious tents. They used to ask $42 for one night but, according to Patrick from German Backpacker , they now ask for $190. They are just crazy and, clearly, not targeting backpackers. And fifth , you could just set up your own tent among the dunes!

Naqa and Musawwarat es-Sufra

The most off the beaten track Nubian temples in the world, Naqa and Musawwarat es-Sufra are located in the middle of the desert, several kilometers away from the road. Getting there is a bit tricky as there are no signs and you need to go over sand dunes.

A traveler claimed that he went there on a small, normal car but you need a really good driver and, definitely, it’s better to go there on a 4×4.

From Khartoum, the price would oscillate something between $100 and $150. It’s quite expensive.

Alternatively, in Shendi, which is the closest town to the temples, you could look for a 4×4 owner and ask this person to take you there. The cost would be significantly lower than from Khartoum. Andy, the same traveler who went there on a small car, said that he got a car for 400SDG ($20). He visited Naqa but, when he arrived in Mussawarat, they wanted to charge him $20 for visiting it and bargaining was not possible. Be aware of this.

visit sudan pyramids

Located very close to the capital, Omdurman is a city that has very little interest but is famous for having some of the most popular events among tourists:

Sufi dancing – Sufism is the mystical or spiritual branch of Islam. Their faith is not based on logic but on revelation. They are those Sunni Muslims who perform a spiritual dance while they get high on drugs. This psychedelic dancing takes place on Friday afternoons. Where? In Hamid El-Nil Mosque . You’ll be definitely meeting other tourists. For more information, check out this amazing photo essay from the  Candy Trail travel blog.

The camel market – Personally, I didn’t go there, as I’ve seen several camel markets in the Middle East before, but if you’ve never seen more than 2,000 camels gathered all together, I am sure you are gonna love this one. How to get there? First of all, take a bus to Omdurman (either from Shendi or Khartoum). In Khartoum, buses depart from Al Araby bus station. The bus will drop you off at the main souk. From there, you should take another bus to Souk Libya (7km). Once in Souk Libya , take the last bus to Moelih, the actual camel market. You’ll know where it is because everybody else will get off there.

visit sudan pyramids

The capital Khartoum

If you come from Egypt, you should arrive in Khartoum in two weeks, approximately. Khartoum is a city in which to rest and eat something different from foul  and grilled chicken. Honestly, there’s not much to do besides visiting the confluence of both the Blue and White Niles. In Khartoum, one can have fun just wandering around the endless souks and hanging out with the locals. By the way, if you want to hang out in a nice hotel, Corinthia Hotel, the best one in town, has the best internet and you can spend as much time as you want in the reception area.

For more information, read: 24 hours in Khartoum

How to get to Khartoum – Al Araby is one of the main bus stations in Khartoum. From here, buses come and go in all directions. From Shendi, you can take a bus for 20SDG ($0.80). 4 hours, with traffic.

Where to stay in Khartoum – Couchsurfing is easy in Khartoum but also, there’s a hostel called Hostelling International Khartoum. These are the coordinates:  15.591484, 32.539680. There’s also a camping area next to the river, situated very close to the confluence of the Nile. It’s called Blue Nile Sailing Club. These are the coordinates:  15.611694, 32.534409

The following places (Port Said, Suakin and Kassala) are amazing to visit. However, you should add at least one week or 10 extra days to the previous two-week itinerary.

Located at the border with Eritrea, Kassala is a city that lies at the foot of a beautiful peak belonging to the Taka Mountains. In Kassala you will find a large number of different ethnicities, including Beja and Rashadia . An interesting spice souk, plenty of colors and meeting different kinds of people are the things that make Kassala become a unique place. By the way, most likely, you’ll be the only foreigner wandering around this area.

For more information, check out this awesome photo essay from Candy Trail Travel Blog.

Tribal man, Sudan

Port Said and Suakin

Located on the Red Sea, almost 800km from Khartoum, these two cities are, geographically, culturally and architecturally, quite different from the rest of Sudan.

Suakin –  With a peculiar architecture that dates back to the 19th century, Suakin was an important place during the Ottoman Empire, as it was the center of slavery exportation and where Muslims left from on their pilgrimage to Mecca. Today, the Turkish government is investing some efforts in restoring the buildings. Where to stay? There are a few hotels but, apparently, some of them might tell you that foreigners are not allowed to stay in Suakin. You can try but, if you want to be more comfortable, I suggest you go to Port Sudan, located just 60km away.

Port Sudan –  Port Sudan is the place where you want to go if you wish to disconnect from the desert and swim in the bluest water. This is most cosmopolitan city in the country, as well as the cleanest. Where to stay? There is one expensive hotel called Coral on the Corniche. If you want something very cheap and basic, you can stay at Hotel Boheine (19.6118533, 37.2208425), near the sea, or at Hotel Alatoun (19.612733,37.213873), near the souk.

By the way, like its neighbor Egypt, the Red Sea in Sudan is home really impressive corals, so here you can do some of the best snorkeling  and diving ever.

How to get to Port Sudan and Suakin? – From Khartoum, there are direct buses but you could also go from Atbara, the city where you took a second bus, on your way from Karima to Meroë.

❗ More information for traveling to Sudan

📢 In my Travel Resources Page you can find the list of all the sites and services I use to book hotels, tours, travel insurance and more.

All guides and articles for traveling in Sudan destination

  • Tales of Nubian People
  • Travel Guide to Nubian Pyramids
  • Is Sudan Safe?
  • Solo Female Travel Guide to Sudan
  • Visa Guide for Sudan

Travel guides to other countries in Africa

  • Ethiopia Travel Guide
  • Eritrea Travel Guide
  • Somaliland Travel Guide
  • Travel Guide to Egypt
  • Libya Travel Guide
  • Mali Travel Guide
  • Travel Guide to Mauritania
  • Tunisia Travel Guide

visit sudan pyramids

86 comments

Excellent review. Stunned how the crime rates in tourist areas are among the lowest on earth. The US State Department never reported that one. Meanwhile, driving through the West End of my hometown in the States I am likely to get popped after dark. Crazy stuff. I met 2 young awesome South Sudanese kids recently who moved to the USA to play high school basketball. Both landed scholarships to prestigious Tulane University. What niche kids, embodying the generous spirit of the Sudanese people.

Thanks for sharing 🙂

Hey Ryan, thanks for your refreshing comment. I’m really happy to hear that there are Sudanese kids who get scholarships for studying abroad. The youngest country in the world is going through quite a lot of struggles and it’s good to know that some its citizens get opportunities like this one. Cheers mate,

Very interesting and useful article about a destination that not many people visit! I bet you didn’t see many tourists around you 🙂 Loved the photos too btw.

Hey, Cinthya! I just saw a few backpackers and 4 or 5 old couples traveling with a private guide. That’s it!

Hey! Thanks for a ridiculously good guide which eased some of my concerns. Reading your take on it, it seems similar to the experience of travelling around Iran without an escort (outside of the large cities) and I would do anything to have more similar experiences.

As I understand it, it has the same situation with ATMs and currency exchange as well. Can I assume the black market is merely people hanging out at some spot holding calculators, or is the set up different? Will they accept Egyptian pounds at the same advantageous rate? Is it possible to exchange on the Egyptian side and/or in intermediate cities as well? Grateful for any questions answered!

Hey mate, hope you are all right. I assume you are coming from Egypt then? Right after crossing the border, the first people you’ll meet will be locals trying to exchange your currency. Yes, they accept Egyptian Pounds. To be honest, I didn’t exchange with them, as I thought I would find a better rate in Wadi Halfa, the next city. But actually, their rate was almost, as good as the one in the city, so you can exchange your EGP with them, and exchange your USD or € in Wadi Halfa. In Wadi Halfa, there are no people hanging around with tons of bills and calculators but you need to ask at the different shops, to see who is willing to exchange your cash. Don’t worry, they love foreign currency so it’s fairly easy to find them.

Much appreciated! Yes, from the Egyptian border. I wanted to visit Ethiopia, but I dislike to fly as there is so much you miss in between. Therefore, I was more than happy to see that Sudan is not only an alternative but a seemingly interesting destination. Thanks again and good luck on your next trip!

Your welcome and all the best!

Hi Joan, This is a great site, thanks. My girlfriend and I are in Aswan waiting to collect Sudan visas. We were wondering if you can register in Abri rather than Wadi Halfa as we are hoping to go straight there. Did you hear of any option like this? Cheers Tim

Hi, Tim! No, you can’t, unfortunately. If you didn’t do it in Wadi Halfa, you will have to do it in Dongola. But anyways, if you come by public transport, you can’t go straight to Abri but you have to spend the night in Wadi Halfa. The bus will arrive in Wadi Halfa pretty late and even the drivers always spend the night there. The people that go straight to Khartoum also must spend the night there. You can register in Wadi Halfa in the morning and then go to Abri. That’s what I did. Good luck!

This article just saved my life lol. Thank you so so much. Amazing information.

Glad it did 🙂

Hi Joan, Thanks for the excellent guide! I share your experience that the Sudanese people are some of the warmest I’ve come across. One thing though. Officially it is required – or at least it was required when I was there in 2011 – to aquire permits if visiting sites including the pyramids. Has this changed or do you simply consider there to be no need for permits? I didn’t aquire any when I was there, but on my way to Meroe I were asked for them at a checkpoint. I was told to turn around but after some discussion I was allowed to continue to the next city (supposedly to get a bus back to Khartoum). Since the bus driver couldn’t care less about permits he let me off at the pyramids which were amazing 🙂

On a side note: Sudan has some of the best diving in the Red sea, which one could argue to be the main draw for tourism in the country…

Hey Mattis! That’s surprising that you needed permits to visit the pyramids. I am pretty sure that you don’t need them anymore. No one asked me for any permit and didn’t meet any tourist who had an issue with that!

Yeah, I also heard that Sudan has very good divings. I don’t dive myself but perhaps I should include it in the guide. Thanks for the reco, cheers!

Thanks, hopefully there’s no need! I may have been mistaken in saying that they are needed for the pyramids per se – I could confuse them with the photography permit that you needed to take photos in the country in general. Though I’m also unsure whether that is gone now, I never applied for it.

Well there’s probably not much to be said about the diving guide-wise, since it’s all liveaboard diving and the majority of the boats start in Egypt. While I did meet a guy who jumped on our boat last minute, I think this is an exception to the rule of booking ahead. Cheers

Hi Mattis and Joan. Unfortunately there is a need for a travel permit to see the pyramids and probably going anywhere from Khartoum. My girlfriend and I were stopped on the way a few days ago and made to get a bus back to Khartoum cos we did not have one. We were ok coming from the north all the way down to the capital though. The travel permit and photo permit are the same form. It is free to get at the Ministry of Tourism, which can be found here: 15°35′52″N 32°34′37.52″E It is on Bashir Enefeidi Street, which is on the opposite side of the airport from downtown on the east side of the city. The office is on the second floor and a you’ll need a passport photo and copy of your passport and visa page. They are really nice there and have a photocopier and can make you copies of the permit to give to police at checkpoints. It takes about ten minutes and you can list all the places you want to visit and take photos.

Thanks for your feedback man!

However, you were not asked a pyramid permit. You were asked a travel permit which is required for anyone leaving Khartoum. If you enter from Egypt or Ethiopia and you don’t pass by Khartoum, there is no need to have this permit. Also, if your final destination is Khartoum, which means that you don’t leave the city, you don’t need the permit either.

In my Sudan visa article, I was explaining this process which you also explained very well: https://againstthecompass.com/en/visa-for-sudan/

I know. It’s a non-sense law.

Ah ok. Then no. Apart from the travel permit there was no need any other separate permit for the pyramid that we could see and we were not asked for one. Careful at the pyramid entrance they tried to charge SDG270 each or $20. But stand your ground and tell them it is 100 each.

Hello Joan. I was wondering where you went after Sudan. Did you fly home? If so did you manage to find a cheap international flight? What do you think is the best way to get back to Europe from this part of the world?

Hi Emily, apologies for my late reply. I flew from Khartoum to Spain with Qatar Airlines and, as far as I can remember, it was pretty cheap!

Hi Joan I am looking to cross from eygpt into Sudan in October as a solo female. Did u experience any issues along the way or did you feel relatively safe

Hi! From a safety point of view, there is no problem at all. From a comfort point of view, it’s a fucked up journey :p But there are plenty of Sudanese women who will be more than happy to have a chat with you, you will have fun 🙂

Well, I’m a man. If you are a man, things are different

Tim, Joan, Albeit a bit late but thank you for the information! Best

Hello Joan,

I might be travelling to Sudan for work. I really liked your blog and posts related to your trip in Sudan. You give another perspective than what most embassies and newspaper give. May I ask you when did you go there? Things change fast there and it possible that the atmosphere today or next month are not the same as when you were there.

Thanks a lot in advance!

Hi Luna, I traveled there in December 2016. Yes, things change fast in Sudan but I wouls say that they change to good, as tourism is increasing day by day. Cheers 🙂

Thank you for sharing, I found very useful info here, I was delighted to find this web site. This is an incredibly inspiring story, I love it!

Hi Joan, excellent helpful review. Can you tell me briefly what clothing you would recommend for female travelers in Sudan? Thanks, Terry

Hello. I just published this article, which definitely answers your question 🙂 https://againstthecompass.com/en/visit-sudan-female-traveler/

Thanks for the source of information. I went Aswan (200 egp with ferry from Abu Simbel) – > Wadi Halfa (150 SDG minivan) – > Dongola (70 SDG bus that was going to Atbara) – > Karima (130 SDG minivan then 50 SDG bus from Atbara) – > Meroe Pyramids (15 SDG truck to Shendi and 70 SDG bus) – > Khartoum and going Ethiopia soon, which supposedly is 270 SDG to the border. Did not bargain any transport.

Seems like you have kept updating things well. The SDG just had a hell of a week and the government seems to try stabilize it again. But we got 24 per USD and 1.35 per EGP (did not bargain this one) in Wadi Halfa last week. Which at the time made changing into USD first pointless and perhaps even a loss, but it has been crazy.

Sleeping in the desert by the pyramids is fine as well, even without a tent. Got a bit chilly due to the wind around 3 AM or so but better than superheated rooms with mosquitoes. Although I did have a beetle roll a ball of shit up to me. We asked to get off at “Bayyarawaya” or some similar pronounciation. Use it in combination with Haram (which means Pyramid in Arabic, but also “religiously forbidden” depending on pronounciation). Saying Meroe just confused them as there is a town opposite Karima named such.

Did registration overdue at the airport for 535 SDG, less than 20 minutes work and the airport is so central. Didn’t even give them photos but they charged me 5 SDG to copy passport and visa.

Youth Hostel in Khartoum is 70 SDG per night atm in dorm and they can give you a paper to help in the registration, but I don’t know if it changed anything.

I HIGHLY recommend taking busses and not minivans if you are even remotely tall or value space. Unfortunately not always available and more of a point to point form of transportation.

When it comes to food, I never had foul as expensive as 25 SDG, outrageous! :] Always hovering around 15 and often satisfying two people. And those 5 SDG falafel sandwiches sure could use some vegetables or sauce added to it…

So here are some ramblings from me. But all you already have here is more than sufficient to navigate Sudan and feel somewhat confident in doing so. Thanks!

Hey, thank you so much for this trip report! Really appreciate it 🙂 Good to know that this currency devaluation won’t last for long. I will keep an eye on it! Also didn’t know that you could register at the airport. Enjoy Ethiopia 🙂

The information is good. However, fuul is not the national dish – although it is eaten frequently (maybe a sandwich in the western world is a suitable comparison). Aseeda or kisra would be considered as more of a national dish. They will put a sauce over it such as tagiliya (closest comparison I can give is bolognese) or bamiya (gloopy okra based). There are other sauces, including a kind of chicken curry but I don’t know the names of these. I think it is a bit of a misconception that it is not possible to get good food – although it can be difficult as a tourist unless you have a local to help or speak Arabic. Often the best food is in peoples homes rather than restaurants.

Hi James, I am so jealous that you tried this dish! Yes, I fully agree that, in this part of the world, best meals are ALWAYS eaten at home, so in Egypt and many other Arab countries 🙂

Dear Joantow,

I visirde Port Sudan end of December.

There is only the expensive top hotel Coral on the corniche (avenue along the coast). Stayed in Boheine hotel at 450 sdg (19.6118533, 37.2208425) near the sea. Also at Alatoun ( 19.612733,37.213873) near the souk. Both already basic.

Suakin was a disappointment. Only piles of coral stones remain on the island and two reconstructed mosques and the customs house. Lots of poverty and waste everywhere.

Best regards,

Thank you for this great, specific information Jozef. I have updated the guide accordingly 🙂

Dear Joantow, A short update from Khartoum. If you do not like the accomdation @ the Youth Hostel, in the same street about 100 meter west there’s affordable Kh2 hotel run by hospitable Khaled, who speaks fine English.

Omdurman heading public transport leaves from Jackson bus station west from the Train station. In Omdurman, you find Imam Al-Mahdi tomb at GPS code 15.639591, 32.488507, while Named Al-Neel tomb, where the sufi chanting/dance takes place can be found at GPs 15.625162, 33.464271.

Really helpful, thanks!

Are there any restrictions with regards to bringing cameras or drones into the country?

Hi Andrew, I have no idea about drones but cameras, you are supposed to get a camera permit but seriously, nobody asks for it… I didn’t get it and was my whole journey with a camera hanging from my shoulder.

Not sure if I posted this one before: I have an Egyptian-licensed car, and was told in Automobile Club in CAiro that I need a “Carnet de Passage” (called Tryptique now in Egypt) to cross to Sudan. It cost around US$150 (plus a bigger deposit) there. Is it recognized (useful) by Sudan? In the past I had the experience (in Syria) having bought this but not being recognized and having to buy again on the border. Or is it better I wait and buy it at the border? Is it cheaper there? Thanks, Michel

Hi Michel, sorry but I can’t help you with this as I don’t really know about this… I guess that the company should have experience in border crossings from other clients right? They should know that

Wonderful blog!Thanks for giving out the best.

First of all thank you very much for your information.

If you plan to update the Sudan part maybee you think about to mention that a Sudan visa has to be used max. 60 days after beeing issued. That is what different sources in the internet tell.

Hey Joan, I just wanted to thank you for the probably most amazing travel guide to Sudan out there. I’m planning on travelling there in winter and sure will use your great ideas for my trip. Cheers, Felix

Amazing man, thank you and have loads of fun there!

I have some Updates: THE TRAVEL PERMIT TO MOVE AROUND THE COUNTRY IS NOT LONGER NEEDED I red that at Lonely Planet Travelforum and I went to the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife in Karthoum and they also told me its not necessary anymore. 1$ at the black market was between 38 SGD in Wadi Halfa and three weeks later in Karthoum about 45 SGD ( July 2018)

Crossing Sudan to Egypt Overland: Bus from Wadi Halfa to Aswan 250 SGD 132 SGD leaving fee 130 Egyptian Pound Entering Fee (and 25$ for Visa on arrival)

Save travel!

Hi there! Apologies for my late reply but it is been some crazy days! I appreciate so much your updates and will update the post in a few days! Cheers!

This is excellent! I’d love to go but I’m terrified of the logistics once on the ground. And my fiancé is 6’4” and probably wouldn’t like the minibuses very much…

Also, in the first part of the article (before the list of destinations), you wrote Kalassa a couple times instead of Kassala. 🙂

Hi Sarah! Yes, to be very honest, Sudan involves a bit of hard-backpacking… However, I met quite a few people above 50 who were traveling with a private guide and absolutely loved it. Would you travel with a guide?

Thanks for the correction. I will change it right away!

Sarah, Just a quick response – I’ve been traveling in Sudan twice now (once with my girlfriend) and I am 6’33. Normal coaches (quite nice ones at that) are common on most major routes and I don’t find Sudan to be any worse than most other places in that regard. Granted the world does not seem to be built for my size but what do…

Thanks for some wonderful articles on your blog! I’m going to Sudan in about a month and a half after traveling through Egypt. I’m so excited and reading your few articles just makes me think I’ll have a great time off the grid.

I have one or two questions if you don’t mind 🙂

Did you sleep at some people’s house? Did you just have a sleeping bag for your whole trip? Do people ask money when you hitchhike? (although I don’t mind giving since they welcome me and i use their oil :D)

Thanks mate! Peter

Hi Peter, great to hear that you are going to Sudan! Here my replies: 1 – One day, a random house invitation. 2 – I always travel with a sleeping bag but didn’t use it there. Mine is too warm 3 – They never asked me for any money Cheers!

ihi great read thanks… one thing… i need to gett a visa from the UK to travel to sudan in January 2019 . Do you know anyone who can supply the letter of invitation?

Hi Paul, I suggest you contact any reasonably good hotel in Khartoum. They can help you with the LOI for an extra cost. Cheers,

A standard source is Hotel Acropole in Khartoum. Not a “backpacker” price, but pleasant place with owners very useful other bureaucratic tasks.

Many thanks for your replies. I will use the Acropole as they have been very helpful. cheers P

Thank you so much for some really great articles on your blog! I’m going to Sudan in november through Egypt. I’ve wanted to go for a long time, and your blog is what made me decide that its really is possible to do it! 😀

I just have a few questions if you don’t mind; Approximately how much money (dollars) do you think I need for lets say 3-4 weeks in Sudan travelling the same route as you did?? I dont really like to travel with a lots of cash but I understand its necessary. I´m planning to cross the border from Sudan to Ethiopia after, so I hope to change the rest of my SDG to Birr on the border.

If I understand correctly, you don’t need a photo permit anymore? I’m a photographer, planning to taking lots of pictures, in your experience how did most people react to this? I’m not looking for still pictures.. Travelled a lot in West African countries before, where it mostly were no problem.

Im travelling alone, anyone else travelling in Sudan in Nov-Dec of this year?? Or anyone with some extra tip, please share 🙂

Hi Victorya! I would say that a backpacking budget would never be higher than 20-30USD a day. As per the photo and travel permit, yes, it is not needed anymore according to quite a few travelers. As per the photos, everybody is pretty cool with that, except for some women. However, since you are also a woman, I am sure that it will be different.

FYI I will be there from the start of January and will be getting visa from somewhere in East Africa in Nov/Dec. Acropole Hotel has been brilliant and helpful.

Thanks for your blog! It was very usefull for my recent trip. The consulate in Aswan seems to stop issueing visas. Maybe even closed. End of September several people had to return to Cairo for visas. But looks like embassy in Cairo issues visas quickly and without LOI (although the cost is 150USD).

Crazy. Will need to update the article then. Thanks for the update 🙂

Yeah, I was lucky enough to find it out before and successfully got my visa (1 entry, 2 months, 50USD) in Moscow embassy without LOI, I did online bookings of a hotel and flight, that cancelled later. Seems sudanese facilitate visa issue process in general, so it would be usefull to contact a home or nearby embassy before going. I can confirm that you can jump from one bus to another on the border without paying extra, so I managed to reach Abri same day I left Egypt (Dongola could be possible as well, but I prefered to follow your route). Also it seems to be another bus Aswan – Khartoum via another road, but this case you skip Abu Simbel. Meroe, Naqa and Massawarat are also very easy from Khartoum for one day. You just need to start a journey from Khartoum early, buy a ticket to Atbara (not Shendi), take off next to pyramid site (I was there at 9am). After visit one you flag on the road to return to Shendi. In Shendi you can negotiate with a simple Hyundai taxi to go to Naqa and Massawarat, the road is not as awful, but quite hard. I paid 1000 pounds (20USD now) for all together. I didn’t return to Shendi (40 km back) and asked the driver to leave me at the check point next to the exit from the desert. The policemen helped me to hitchhike back to Khartoum as it was Saturday and all passing by buses where full.

Oh, the registration is possible at the border! After getting the entry stamp, the same officer will easily make a registration (it costs 540 pounds or so, a money changer sits opposite border control).

Man, you have done great at getting to Sudan. I always wanted to go there but due to me not be able to get a visa from Egypt, I had to leave it from my itinerary. I was so close in Aswan!

why you didn’t get it?

Hi guys Do you know about the situation in Sudan, I will be in Aswan soon and I wonder about the safety of a travel in Sudan.

your answers 🙂 https://againstthecompass.com/en/safe-travel-sudan/

Going to Ethiopia: Be as early as possible at al Qadarif. The bus station is big, confusing, in the middle of nowhere and English is not too common. I took a minibus to al Qadarif City. From the town a tuk tuk to a local bus station with minibuses to Gallabat. Both rides were pretty long. On the border are money changers. If you have real money they offer a better rate for ETB. Remember, in Ethiopia it is nearby impossible to change any Birr back to real money. I was told, on the Ethiopian side oft he border is a Hotel or something like this. Before noon are buses to Gondar.

The Visa Be ca. 7.30h at the embassy in Kartoum. They have a queue system. If there are to many applicants you will be sent away for the next morning. You can collect your visa the same day after 15 h. The validity oft he visa starts with the day of issue.

Going to Wadi Halfa The ferry from/to Abu Simbel does not operate on fridays.

I forgot. From Kartoum are buses to Gonder etc. Close to the Ethiopian embassy is a Ethiopian club. You will see the corresponding advertisments. As I came from Kassala this was no option to me.

hey joan, do you have any news from travellers who visited sudan since the unrests started last december? what do you think about going there now? i got my visa and planning to go there soon but only have informations from news outlets. thanks a lot! best wishes stefan

Honestly, nobody has told me anything about this topic but this usually means that the current unrests haven’t really affected any traveler

Hi I was there for 10 days in late January. There was armed guards on all street corners in central Khartoum, and even tanks near the nile bridges. I bumped into a ‘tourist policeman’ who accompanied me to the pryamids. He and the taxi driver wouldnt take me to omdurman souk on one day because of protests. Otherwise I had no trouble and Sudan was the most wonderful place. Prices are cheaper than chips and the people are so warm and friendly – probably some of the friendliest i met (i was going cape town to cairo) They bought me meals and wanted nothing in return. Clearly a state of emergency changes things somewhat but the people are great!

hi john, thanks for your message, good to read about your experiences. sounds like you had an epic trip travelling from capetown to cairo. all the best, stefan

cheers.. it was virtually the best three months of my life! everyone so friendly so much fun and not one bad day! This blog site helped alot re Sudan too.

great to hear paul (sorry for calling you john;). im looking forward a lot! hope youll be on the road again soon.

Just came back from the consulate in Aswan. Time to wait for the visa is 3 days without any explanation. They said a “sponsor” or booking is important. Not sure if they check it though. Fee is still 150$

thanks for the update!

Thanks for this great guide, which I used to research my bicycle trip through Egypt and Sudan in early 2020. Just barely made it home in March before they closed everything down! I really appreciated your detailed notes, especially about visiting the archaeological sites. Just wanted to mention that I stayed in Dongola at the Olla Hotel and it was actually one of my favorite towns in Sudan. The market area was one of the friendliest and most relaxing I found anywhere in Sudan.

Thanks, Alissa for sharing your experience and glad you made it home just in time 🙂

Is yellow fever vaccine certificate needed to visit Sudan? I found conflicting information online (CDC: Required for arriving travelers from all countries if traveler is ≥1 year of age; WHO: a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required for travellers aged 1 year or over arriving from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission). Thanks a lot!

I have never known much about vaccine requirements for each country. I have all exotic vaccines but not sure which one is needed for each country

Thank you Joan for an amazingly well made travel guide. It made us decide to go to Sudan without your contribution we wouldn’t have really known much about this country. The only issue for us, as experienced backpackers but on budget, is if Sudan is still a cheap destination since your trip in 2016: there is crazy inflation and almost all the updates you give are about prices going up wheter for visas, or for attractions, or for accomodations, we are starting to wonder what the total expanse now in 2023 is gonna sum up to.

I am planning to go there too, but the VISA is an issue seems the embassy requires TRAVEL AGENCY LETTER.. AND quote is easy over 2000 USD for 4 days.. it’s not making sense to go through that troubles.. i am a backpacker, i am still searching other way to get the visa and try to travel in reasonable budget …

here’s the latest update on how to get a visa for Sudan: https://againstthecompass.com/en/visa-for-sudan/

What´s your take on travel to Sudan now that the violence has spiraled out of control this month and the country is widely feared on the verge of civil war? I´ve always admired how you cover what many consider dicey or dangerous destinations in a measured, rational way. But surely even you would have to admit that Sudan now seems like a no go?

Hi David, I wouldn’t go to Sudan as of today, and I don’t think you can go there anyways.

Hi I liked the article. Just one quick thing ma fi literally means there is not bidun (بِدون) means without.

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14 Fascinating Places to Visit in Sudan

visit sudan pyramids

By Alissa Bell : seeker of paths less traveled and active adventures on 6 continents

June 19, 2020

Updated: July 25, 2023

Ruined temple enclosure in Sudan

The situation in Sudan has unfortunately deteriorated since I was there, and as of April 2023 there is active armed conflict between factions of the military in Khartoum and elsewhere. I sincerely hope the country finds peace again soon, but in the meantime travelers should stay away.

There seem to be two types of people when it comes to travel in Sudan. Those who’ve never been will raise their eyebrows and ask about safety. But the few who’ve been will say Sudan is one of the nicest and safest countries they’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting.

As someone who spent several weeks in Sudan in early 2020 (in fact, I rode my bicycle solo through much of the country), I am firmly in the latter camp. Though Sudan as a country faces some deep economic and political challenges, the mood most travelers will encounter is peaceful and friendly.

Large family outside mud hut in Sudan desert waving and smiling

Most travelers come to Sudan for the ancient Nubian archaeological sites, less developed than Egypt’s but also more relaxed and atmospheric. There is also plenty of interest in the colorful culture of this transition zone between Arabic northern Africa and the Sub-Saharan rest of the continent. And for  mindful travelers  with the opportunity and inclination to dig deeper, some very interesting conversations with friendly locals and expats await.

Sudan is a huge country but has only the faintest glimmer of tourism infrastructure, which is part of its charm as well as its challenge. Still, there’s no shortage of things to do and places to visit in Sudan. In this post I’ll highlight the most popular tourist attractions in Sudan, as well as a few of the low-key secrets, to help you plan your trip.

Men at rest stop in Sudan

Sudan Travel Tips

Safety : Not all of Sudan is accessible to visitors. Areas like Darfur are currently off-limits due to continuing tribal conflict. Be sure to check government travel advice before planning a trip. The rest of the country is quite safe by any standards.

Costs : Sudan can be quite cheap to travel in if you’re backpacking. You can get by for just a few dollars a day. Guided tours can cost much more.

Money : ATMs and credit cards can’t be used by foreigners in Sudan (and aren’t reliable anyway). Bring cash (US dollars) and change it to Sudanese pounds in small amounts as you go. Seek out the much better black market rate by discretely asking at your hotel. Don’t change too much at once; rates fluctuate a lot and it can be difficult to change back if you end up with too much.

Language : Arabic is the official language of Sudan, and many regional languages are also spoken. Don’t expect more than a few words of English, but you can still get by with hand gestures and a smile.

Dress : Sudan is a very conservative Muslim country. Both men and women should cover shoulders and knees out of respect for the local culture. Women may want to be even more conservative by dressing in loose pants or skirt, a long-sleeve shirt, and potentially a headscarf in some circumstances. For more detail, see What Should Travelers Wear in Sudan?

Female travelers : Considering how conservative the culture is for local women, Sudanese are surprisingly welcoming and respectful toward foreign women. Harassment is uncommon, though culturally uninformed misunderstandings about the desires of western women can and do happen. Just firmly say no thanks.

Guided or independent : Many travelers visit Sudan on organized tours which certainly does make for a more relaxing trip. But it’s absolutely possible to travel Sudan independently as a backpacker or overlander, and many find it highly rewarding due to the welcoming culture.

Food : Not the highlight of a trip to Sudan. Ful (beans) is a staple, as is falafel. Limited selection of fresh fruit and vegetables is usually not hard to find. Tea is available and offered everywhere.

Sudanese man holds up beans used to make ful

Transportation : Variable but decent for the region. Main roads are generally well paved. Buses are fairly orderly but usually not on a strict schedule. Traffic can be chaotic so think twice before renting a vehicle to drive yourself. Hitchhiking is common.

visit sudan pyramids

Weather : Generally hot, mostly dry in the desert north, with a rainy season further south from June – October.

Guidebook : There isn’t much to choose from, but the Bradt Sudan Travel Guide from 2012 is helpful for understanding the main attractions and learning the country’s history.

Now that you have a general sense for travel in Sudan, let’s get to the fun part: the most popular things to do in Sudan.

Friendly Sudanese man in white robes waves from motorbike

Sudan Within A Longer Trip

Some people visit Sudan as a stand-alone destination, and this makes perfect sense if you have less time. But for travelers on a more leisurely schedule, a great option is to combine Sudan with a visit to its northern neighbor Egypt.

The border between Egypt and Sudan is a relatively recent division, and much of the region’s deep history spans vast areas of both countries. Much of the landscape is similar – sandy desert bisected by the green Nile – and the language of Arabic is another common factor.

Logistically speaking, there’s only one highway serving the far north of Sudan – one of the country’s nicest areas in my opinion – and following it overland to or from Egypt flows a bit better than an out-and-back journey. The ferry crossing of Lake Nasser is scenic and interesting, and border crossings in Africa tend to be exciting affairs in any case.

It’s also possible, though less common, to continue south through Sudan to Ethiopia overland. The transition from desert to savanna to mountains must be experienced gradually to be fully appreciated.

For those who seek out the least-visited of rarely visited countries, Eritrea is right next door to Sudan and has even fewer visitors and more red tape. Travel in Eritrea is difficult because of the many restrictions on foreigners, and crossing the border overland from Sudan may well be impossible. However, those who’ve been report that it’s a fascinating country to visit.

Now that we’ve covered some travel tips and ideas for structuring your trip, let’s get into all the things to do and places to visit in Sudan.

Khartoum and Omdurman

The capital city of Khartoum feels almost like its own country. In this relatively progressive place you’ll find more women on the streets, some even without headscarves, and foreigners won’t usually get much of a second look. The city is cramped and bustling in some places and surprisingly modern in others, with an overall friendly and polite vibe.

The most highly recommend thing to do in Khartoum is technically in Omdurman, the older and grittier city right next door. Every Friday before sunset sufi mystics dance and chant in a highly charged ecstatic atmosphere at the Hamed-al Nil tomb.

In Khartoum proper, the National Museum and the confluence of the Niles are both worth a visit and relatively nearby each other. For more ideas, see this more detailed guide to things to do in Khartoum .

Road in Khartoum with interesting hotel

Pyramids at Meroë

Sudan technically has more pyramids than Egypt, though they’re smaller and often less well preserved. If you’re going to see one pyramid site in Sudan, make it the pyramids of Meroë.

Usually visited as a day trip from Khartoum or en route from Atbara, this site is the best preserved and also the most popular pyramid site in Sudan (meaning you might have to share with a handful of other tourists).

Pyramids and desert in Sudan

The pyramids here are in varying stages of disrepair and reconstruction, revealing a complex history of both building and excavating. While chatting with one of the site’s archaeologists I was surprised to learn that a fair amount of their effort goes into simply holding back the desert sand that threatens to sandblast the remaining structures, destroying them faster than they can be preserved.

The pyramids at Meroë can be reached easily by public transit from either Khartoum or Atbara. Just ask to be let off at Bajrawia village. Coming back is trickier, and is usually done by hitchhiking. It’s possible to camp at the pyramids if you’re prepared with your own gear.

Note that Meroë is the ancient city (you can still wander around the ruins, which are near the pyramids), and NOT the same as Merowe, an area near Karima.

Naqa and Musawwarat

These two Meroitic archaeological gems are a bit harder to get to than most of Sudan’s other tourist attractions, requiring some kind of private transportation. They lie 26 km (Naqa) or 30 km (Musawwarat) east of the highway from Khartoum to Atbara on sand and dirt track, sharing the same road for the first 15 km after leaving the highway.

Their locations can be found on the iOverlander app, but it’s probably best to go with an experienced guide/driver who can navigate the faint and sandy desert tracks.

visit sudan pyramids

If you can manage to get there, the temples at these sites are among the nicest in Sudan. Naqa is home to the temples of Amun and Apedemak (the latter notably depicting the queen with the same size and power as the king), as well as the small but surprisingly intricate Roman Kiosk.

visit sudan pyramids

At Musawwarat Es-Sufra, which dates from the 3rd century BC, you can wander the extensive labyrinthine Great Enclosure and visit the well-preserved Lion Temple. The old reservoir is usually dry these days, but standing there you can almost imagine how it would have looked and felt when the now-barren desert was teeming with life centered around this ancient temple complex.

Ruined temple enclosure in Sudan

Atbara has a bit of a gritty feel compared to the gentler towns further west and north. There’s not too much to do in this industrial and railroad town, besides the usual chatting and wandering, but many travelers will pass through on their way along the Nile toward the Meroë Pyramids and Khartoum.

The “new bus station” in the southeast corner of town (still north of the river) is surprisingly nice and orderly, with buses leaving every hour or so for Khartoum throughout the morning.

Karima: Pyramids, Jebel Barkal, Nuri

Across a long empty stretch of desert from Atbara is the town of Karima. The town is more relaxed than Atbara, though it can feel a bit less friendly than the smaller towns further down the Nile due to the area’s relative popularity with tourists.

The area around Karima is home to three of Sudan’s tourist attractions.

Jebel Barkal and Temple of Mut

Jebel Barkal is a small mountain popular for its great views and for sunset climbs (bring a light for the way down). At its base there is a cemetery and ancient ruins of the Temple of Mut.

Cemetery at base of Jebel Barkal

Karima Pyramids

Free and literally right beside the road, these are certainly worth a visit especially if you haven’t yet been to the Meroe Pyramids. They’re quite well preserved (please don’t climb them in order to keep them that way) and clustered in a small easy-to-reach area.

Pyramids beside highway in Karima Sudan

Nuri Pyramids

On the east side of the Nile and a bit of a drive outside of town, these pyramids are quite deteriorated but said to be atmospheric. Personally I skipped them since I had already seen the nearby Karima pyramids and was headed to Meroë next, but for pyramid connoisseurs they are easy enough to get to and worth a visit.

Dongola was among my favorite towns in Sudan for its relaxed and friendly vibe. The refreshing breeze coming off the Nile probably didn’t hurt either. Wandering the streets and markets there felt pleasant and welcoming in a way I’ve rarely found anywhere on the African continent, making the simple errand of shopping for food an attraction in itself.

Otherwise, there isn’t too much else to do in Dongola besides relax and recover from a few days in the desert.

View of Nile river from bridge in Dongola

Old Dongola

Old Dongola, not to be confused with the present-day town of Dongola, lies about 50 miles upstream (south) and is an archaeological site. Notable for its more recent history – relatively speaking compared to some of Sudan’s ancient sites – it contains the ruins of a number of Christian churches from the 7th – 14th centuries AD.

The Throne Hall, Church of the Granite Columns, and Muslim cemetery are some of the most prominent ruins at Old Dongola.

The temple of Soleb is a relatively well-preserved Egyptian temple built in the 14th century BC. It lies on the west bank of the Nile across from the village of Wawa, about 3/4 of the way from Dongola to Abri.

Most travelers will need to hire a small boat to take them across the Nile, which can supposedly be done at the small guesthouse in Wawa (check the iOverlander or Maps.me app for location). This may take a bit of time though, as you’ll need to track down the owner first. There’s also an informal homestay on the Soleb side for those wishing to spend the night near the temple, but you should bring your own food.

Sudanese village

Kerma is a town on the east side of the Nile just north of Dongola. Its main attractions are two “deffufa” (burial mounds) and a small museum. There are one or two small guesthouses in town; check Maps.me and iOverlander to find them.

Abri is a pleasant small town on the banks of the Nile in northern Sudan. Few travelers make it this far north unless continuing to Egypt, and the town feels relaxed and gentle. The best thing to do in Abri is sit by the Nile and rest up before or after a few days of desert travel.

The Nubian Guesthouse is where most travelers to Abri stay. The owner speaks good English, and there’s hot water and wifi. Rooms are available for moderate prices and camping is allowed in the courtyard for a few dollars.

Quiet streets in Abri Sudan

There’s not much reason to visit the far-north border town of Wadi Halfa unless you’re crossing between Egypt and Sudan. Still, it’s an interesting transit town where you can watch the ferries come in from Aswan and Abu Simbel, and out on the highway you’ll see a trickle of large trucks on their way to and from Egypt via Lake Nasser.

If you just arrived in Sudan from Egypt, head downtown for plenty of cheap hostels and some places to buy a local SIM card.

Kassala is a market town in the east of Sudan, near the border with Eritrea. It’s not as commonly visited as the towns and archaeological sites along the Nile, but if you have the time and enjoy traveling off the beaten path it’s worth the 7 hour bus journey from Khartoum.

Kassala is known for its ethnic blend as tribes from near and far come to trade at the market, and for its dramatic location at the base of the distinctive Taka Mountains.

Port Sudan is the place to go if you want to see the Red Sea from Sudan. It’s Sudan’s second-largest city (after Khartoum) and only port city, connected to Khartoum by both weekly train and busy paved road.

Among tourists it’s best known for its small but interesting scuba diving scene, though I’ve heard that only those with experience should dive here as instruction and safety standards can be questionable.

Dinder National Park

On the way south to the Ethiopian border, Dinder National Park offers a completely different environment from the sandy desert of the north. Best visited during the dry season (November to May), it draws visitors looking to spot wildlife and relax in the peaceful environment. To explore the park fully you’ll want a 4wd vehicle and ideally a guide and driver.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, Sudan is home to a wealth of historic sites and interesting experiences. For travelers who enjoy getting off the tourist trail and exploring on their own, Sudan will be an adventure to remember and learn from for many years to come.

More Africa Travel Resources

If you’re curious about things to do in Sudan, you might also be interested in these:

  • 12 Essentials From My Africa Packing List
  • How to Travel Mindfully in Challenging Places
  • Must-Know Cultural Tips for Visitors to Uganda
  • Where to go Hiking in West Africa

visit sudan pyramids

About the Author

Hi there, I’m Alissa, founder of Exploring Wild. I’ve had the pleasure of traveling independently and solo on six continents, including some unusual destinations like Liberia and Sudan, and it has forever changed the way I see the world and myself. Learn more about me here .

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Capital city Khartoum, Sufi Whirling Dervishes, old souk of Omdurman, Naga & Mussawarat, Meroe Pyramids, Jebel Barkal, Nubian house in Ka...

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Sudan Tours

One of Africa's largest countries, our Sudan tours have always attracted intrepid explorers looking to discover the secrets of the ancient civilisations and ruins found within the Nubian desert.

Tour Sudan and explore its dusty old streets and the bustling souks of the capital city Khartoum to the beauty of the Nile Valley and the ever-friendly Sudanese people, home to Egyptian tombs and lost Turkish and Roman cities, our Sudan tours offers a completely unique travel experience.

Join one of our small group Sudan tours as we explore this vast and mysterious North African country.

Starting in mesmerising Khartoum, our Sudan tours explore the untamed beauty of the Nubian Desert as we travel through strange rock formations and forgotten temples on the way to the black pyramids of Meroe and the holy mountain of Jebel Barkal.

Enjoy tranquil nights sleeping under the stars in our desert camps or learn more about the local Sudanese people and culture when spending the night in a traditional Nubian house - making a Sudan tour one of the most memorable holiday destination imaginable!

A Sudan tour can also be partnered with its neighbouring countries. Contact us for more details. Do you want to tour Sudan but need more inspiration? Here are some quick facts that will make you want to explore Africa .

More information about Sudan tours

Do you want to know more about Sudan and its beauty? Or do you need accurate visa information?

Contact the Sudan tourism board for more information.

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Tour reviews.

Trip booked through Groupon at a Great offer price - Encounters was nothing but professional from the start. I even purchased insurance - extra days and got the best flights from my local airport- Great experience

Anthony has been a pleasure to work with and when he is not available, other members of the team respond in a timely manner. I have booked a total of 6 trips since December 2013 and plan to book more to fill my bucket list.

Everything about the trip was thought through, fine-tuned , and marvelous. From Ant Horribin helping us arrange the trip, to rep Waled Ali, and our guide Big Mo, we could not have asked for a better team. Our sincere thanks to them.

Encounters Travel did such a superb job in organizing this tour. I had never heard of them before going on the Maldives Magic tour, however now I will recommend them to friends/family and use them for my future planned trips. Our tour is what made the trip that much more memorable. Rather than being plopped at a westernized resort, we were able to get a taste of how the locals live, eat and entertain themselves. We stayed in quaint guesthouses on the islands amongst the locals, ate authentic Maldivian cuisine (one day even with a Maldivian family who made us breakfast), and viewed a traditional dance/singing performance which was absolutely delightful. This was a trip of a lifetime that I will never forget.

Conscientious in early communication; knowledgeable, humorous and caring tour guides; an exemplary itinerary that was well organized yet flexible; an overall extraordinary experience. I'd recommend them enthusiastically.

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Sudan Country Guide

Sudan Country Guide Flag

Time: GMT+2 Dial Code: +249 Area: 1,886 million km2 Elevation: The lowest point in Sudan is the Red Sea at 0m | The highest point in Sudan is Kinyeti at 3,187m (10,456 ft.) Population: 41,511,526 (2018) Capital: Khartoum Government: Representative democracy, Presidential system, Federal republic Language: Arabic, Englis

Sudan, also known as North Sudan since South Sudan's independence and officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a country in North Africa. The country is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, and Libya to the northwest.

The most widely spoken language in the country is Sudanese Arabic. This language is a variety of Arabic and has borrowed much vocabulary from local Nilo-Saharan languages (Nobiin, Fur, Zaghawa, Mabang). As a result, the dialect is unique to Sudan.

Following the 2011 division, which split off Sudan, more than 97% of the population practises Islam. Many of the Muslim locals are divided between two groups: Sufi and Salafi (Ansar Al-Sunnah) Muslims. Religious identity has played a role in the political divisions.

The terrain of Sudan is characterised by flat plains and mountain ranges. In the west, the Deriba Caldera in the Marrah Mountains is the highest point in Sudan. Sudan is the third-largest country in the country in the world (after Algeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo).

The most important sector in Sudan is agriculture, which contributes to 39% of GDP. The legal system in Sudan is based on Islamic Sharia law - a religious law forming part of the Islamic tradition. The capital of Sudan is Khartoum, situated at the confluence of the Blue and White Nile.

  • Nuba Mountains - a forested area home to the Nuba group of people in South Kordofan.
  • Kerma - one of the oldest inhabited towns in Africa and a vast archaeological site in Nubia.
  • Kerma Museum - an edifice displaying relics from the Kerma site, with seven granite statues and Nubian artefacts.
  • Port Sudan - Sudan's only major industrial port with historical buildings, and a popular diving destination.
  • National Museum - one of Sudan's best museums displaying royal statues and 3,500-year-old artefacts.
  • Naqa - a ruined ancient city and trading station, east of the Nile, with two striking temples.
  • Sai Island - an island in Abri, with an Egyptian temple, Ottoman fort and a medieval church.
  • Khatmiyah Mosque - positioned by the Taka Mountains, this elaborate mosque has arcade columns and a prayer hall.
  • Ask permission before taking photographs of people or religious sites.
  • Eat with your right hand, as the left hand is considered unclean.
  • Stay hydrated throughout your trip, as the weather is extremely warm and dry.
  • As Sudan is an Islamic state, drugs and alcohol are illegal in the country.
  • Bring loose-fitting and comfortable clothing along with sun cream and a hat.
  • Don't expect to see markets selling souvenirs, as Sudan is not a touristy place.
  • When entering a mosque, women will be expected to cover their heads.
  • Homosexuality is illegal in Sudan and in some cases has been punishable by death.

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Papyri with writing sits crumpled on orange sand

  • HISTORY MAGAZINE

This ancient diary reveals how Egyptians built the Great Pyramids

The Pyramids of Giza are an architectural feat, and long thought a mystery. But the Red Sea Scrolls give an unprecedented look at who built the ancient wonder.

Located on the Egyptian coast of the Red Sea, Wadi al-Jarf is a quiet, unassuming place today. Dry desert sands and placid blue water stretch out as far as the eye can see; across the water one can spy the Sinai Peninsula. This seeming tranquility masks the busy hub it once was more than 4,000 years ago. Wadi al-Jarf’s historical importance was cemented in 2013 when 30 papyri, the world’s oldest, were found hidden away in manmade limestone caves there.

Aside from their age, the so-called Red Sea Scrolls are remarkable for their contents. Not only do they reveal Wadial-Jarf’s distant past as a bustling port, they also contain eyewitness accounts of a man named Merer who took part in the building of the Great Pyramid of Pharaoh Khufu.

The Wadi al-Jarf site was first discovered in 1823 by an English traveler and antiquarian, John Gardner Wilkinson, who believed its ruins to be a Greco-Roman necropolis. Then, in the 1950s, two archaeology-loving French pilots, François Bissey and René Chabot-Morisseau, stumbled upon the site again. They suggested that it had once been a center for metal production. But the 1956 Suez crisis delayed further investigation.

It wasn’t until 2008 that work at the site resumed. French Egyptologist Pierre Tallet led a series of excavations that definitively identified Wadi al-Jarf as an important port that dated back some 4,500 years to the reign of Khufu and the building of the Great Pyramid. Tallet’s teams revealed that Wadi al-Jarf was a vibrant economic hub at the center of the trade in materials used to build the pyramids, some 150 miles away. Supporting the archaeology was the landmark find of Merer’s diary among the papyri.

( The Pyramids at Giza were built to endure an eternity—but how? )

A satellite photo centers on the Red Sea, which Egyptian traders had to cross to obtain copper from Sinai.

Pyramid port

The Wadi al-Jarf site consists of several different areas, spread over several miles between the Nile and the Red Sea. From the direction of the Nile, the first area, about three miles from the coast, contains some 30 large limestone chambers used for storage. It was in these caves that the papyri were discovered.

This ivory statuette is one of the only depictions of Pharaoh Khufu that survives from his time, some 4,500 years ago.

Continuing east toward the sea for another 500 yards, a series of camps appears, and after those, a large stone building divided into 13 parallel sections. Archaeologists surmised that the building was used as a residence. Finally, on the coast is the harbor itself with dwellings and more storage spaces. Using pottery and inscriptions found at the site, archaeologists have been able to date the harbor complex to Egypt’s 4th dynasty, some 4,500 years ago. They believe the harbor was inaugurated in the time of Pharaoh Sneferu and abandoned around the end of his son Khufu’s reign. It was active for a short period, but during that time the port was devoted to building Khufu’s tomb , known then as Akhet-Khufu, meaning “Horizon of Khufu.”

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( This Egyptian queen's tomb lay untouched in the shadows of Giza. )

Along with the papyri, many other important archaeological finds there have revealed the importance of the port. Large structures, like the 600-foot-long stone jetty, show deep material investment in the area. Tallet and his team uncovered some 130 anchors, whose presence implies a busy harbor.

A watercolor depicts the busy harbor at Giza

From the harbor, called “The Bush” by the ancient Egyptians, the pharaoh’s ships would sail across the Red Sea to the copper-rich Sinai Peninsula. Copper was the hardest metal then available, and the Egyptians needed it to cut the stones for their pharaoh’s massive pyramid. When Egyptian ships returned to port, they were loaded with copper. Between voyages, the ships were stored in the limestone chambers.

( What it’s like to scuba dive under pyramids. )

A view of the Pyramids of Giza, with blue sky behind, sand in front, and two camels in the foreground

Treasures in the caves

After the Wadi al-Jarf harbor was decommissioned around Khufu’s death, records show that a team was sent from Giza to close the storage spaces carved into the limestone. They were known as the Escort Team of “the Uraeus of Khufu Is Its Prow,” which most likely refers to a ship bearing the Uraeus (protective cobra) on its prow. During the process of blocking up the limestone caves, Merer’s now obsolete papyrus documents likely became lodged among the stone blocks.

They remained in the desert air for some four and a half millennia until their discovery during an excavation by Tallet in 2013. The first batch of Red Sea Scrolls was found on March 24 that year near the entrance to the storage space designated G2. The second and largest set of documents was found 10 days later, wedged between blocks in storage space G1.

A fragment of Merer's journal on papyrus

There are several types of documents among the Red Sea Scrolls, but the writings of Merer caused the most excitement. The leader of a working party, Merer kept records of its activities in his diary. It is a daily record of the work his team carried out over a three-month period during the construction of the Great Pyramid.

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Merer’s team consisted of some 200 workers who traveled across Egypt and were responsible for carrying out all tasks related to the construction of the Great Pyramid. Among the most interesting were the limestone blocks used for the pyramid’s cladding. Merer recorded in great detail how the team retrieved them from the quarries of Tura and brought them by boat to Giza.

( What do the Dead Sea Scrolls reveal about the origins of Christianity? )

A sketch of a 15th-century B.C. relief from the temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Dayr al-Bahri shows workers loading ships sailing to the Land of Punt.

Merer’s men would load the limestone blocks onto boats, transport them up the Nile, and watch when they were tallied in an administrative area before being taken to Giza. A fragment from the diary records the three-day journey from the quarry to the pyramid’s site:

Day 25: Inspector Merer spends the day with his za [team] hauling stones in south Tura; spends the night in south Tura. Day 26: Inspector Merer sets sail with his za from south   Tura, laden with stone blocks, to Akhet-Khufu [the Great Pyramid]; spends the night in She-Khufu [administrative area with storage space for the ashlars, just before Giza]. Day 27: Embark at She-Khufu, sail to Akhet-Khufu laden with stones, spend the night at Akhet-Khufu.

The next day, Merer and his workers returned to the quarry to pick up a new shipment of stones:

A 4,500-year-old bust of Ankhhaf, royal architect and half brother of Khufu

Day 28: Set sail from Akhet-Khufu in the morning; navigate up the river towards south Tura. Day 29: Inspector Merer spends the day with his za hauling stones in south Tura; spends the night in south Tura. Day 30: Inspector Merer spends the day with his za hauling stones in south Tura; spends the night in south Tura.

Merer’s diary even gives a glimpse of one of the pyramid’s architects. Ankhhaf, Khufu’s half brother, held the position of “head of all the king’s works.” One of the papyrus fragments states: “Day 24: Inspector Merer spends the day with his za hauling [text missing] with people in elite positions, aper-teams, and the noble Ankh-haf, director of Ro-She Khufu.”

( Who built the Sphinx? Who broke its nose? 4,500 years later, a fresh look. )

Floating to Giza

A 3D model of the building site of the Pyramids of Giza

Working men

Merer also carefully kept track of how his crew was paid. Since there was no currency in pharaonic Egypt, salary payments were made generally in measures of grain. There was a basic unit, the “ration,” and the worker received more or less according to their category on the administrative ladder. According to the papyri, the workers’ basic diet was hedj (leavened bread), pesem (flat bread), various meats, dates, honey, and legumes, all washed down with beer.

( These mighty pyramids were built by one of Africa’s earliest civilizations. )

It has been long accepted that a large labor force built the Great Pyramid, but historians have long debated the status of this workforce. Many have argued that the workers must have been enslaved, but the Red Sea Scrolls contradict this notion. Merer’s detailed payment records demonstrate that those who built the pyramids were skilled workers who received compensation for their services.

Construction workers carry sandstone blocks in a relief detail from the Temple of Luxor

There is something even more extraordinary in the lines of the frail papyri. In the words of Merer, there is a firsthand account of a person who not only witnessed the building of the pyramids but whose team was also a crucial part of the everyday business of getting the job done. Because of this discovery, Egyptologists have a detailed (and somewhat prosaic) snapshot of the final stages of the Great Pyramid’s construction.

( How to spend a day in Cairo, the eclectic Egyptian capital. )

Related Topics

  • MANUSCRIPTS
  • ANCIENT EGYPT
  • ANCIENT HISTORY
  • ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
  • DEAD SEA SCROLLS

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IMAGES

  1. Visiting the Meroe Sudan Pyramids; The ULTIMATE guide!

    visit sudan pyramids

  2. How to visit the Nubian pyramids in Sudan

    visit sudan pyramids

  3. Visit Sudan

    visit sudan pyramids

  4. World heritage: the Pyramids of Meroe, Sudan

    visit sudan pyramids

  5. The 7 Best Places to visit in Sudan; Your Sudan Travel Guide & Itinerary

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  6. How to visit the Nubian pyramids in Sudan

    visit sudan pyramids

VIDEO

  1. PYRAMIDS- EGYPT VS SUDAN 😮

  2. Pyramids Beyond Giza: Unveiling Sudan's Hidden Treasures #SudansPyramids #subscribeourchannel

  3. Sudan has more pyramids than any country #youtuber #youtubeshorts #shorts

  4. Who would guess that Sudan would have more ancient Pyramids than Egypt. #pyramids #history #sudan

  5. Pyramids Sudan vs Egypt #trending #travel #egypt #pyramid #travelegypt #facts

  6. Unveiling the Forgotten Pyramids of Sudan #trend

COMMENTS

  1. Why Sudan's Remarkable Ancient Civilization Has Been Overlooked by

    In the Land of Kush A dazzling civilization flourished in Sudan nearly 5,000 years ago. Why was it forgotten? Meroe, 150 miles north of Khartoum, served as a necropolis for the kings and queens...

  2. How to visit the Nubian pyramids in Sudan

    Visiting the pyramids in Sudan is definitely one of the highlights, not only because of their historical background but also, because they are so remote and very few people visit Sudan, so nowhere else in the world will you have as many pyramids just to yourself. For practical information, including a 2-week itinerary, read my travel guide to Sudan

  3. Meroë Pyramids, Sudan: The Complete Guide

    Address JG45+78W, Nile St, Al Khurtum, Sudan Phone +249 91 218 8894 Web Visit website Egypt 's iconic ancient pyramids are famous around the world and are undoubtedly one of the biggest draws for visitors to North Africa.

  4. Visiting the Meroe Pyramids of Sudan ; The ULTIMATE guide!

    UPDATE MAY 2022: If you want off-the-beaten-track travel, here it is. Sudan, alone, is an obscure destination to visit, but one that is well worth your time and effort. But visiting the Meroe Pyramids of Sudan is more obscure still. I visited Sudan as part of my epic Cape Town to Cairo overland trip, and Sudan was a real highlight.

  5. Glimpses of Sudan's Forgotten Pyramids

    In recent years, the pyramids at Meroe — as well as other Sudanese archaeological sites up and down the Nile, including the pyramids at Nuri, farther north — have been threatened by rising...

  6. These mighty pyramids were built by one of Africa's earliest civilizations

    Published December 28, 2022 • 13 min read Powered by agriculture, ancient Sudan 's great civilizations thrived and erected mighty temples and tombs honoring their gods, kings, queens, and nobles....

  7. Explore Sudan's Pyramids of Meroë

    Explore Sudan's Pyramids of Meroë Uncover a city with over 200 pyramids. This is Meroë, the ancient capital of the Kushite Kingdom, in Sudan's Nile Valley. Alternatively, listen to the audio version of this website Scroll to explore The Kings and Queens Kings with the same name, and opposite views on Kushite culture.

  8. Dive beneath the pyramids of Sudan's black pharaohs

    With more than 20 ancient pyramids sprawling across 170 acres of Sudanese desert, Nuri is perhaps the most stunning archaeological site you've never heard of. Photograph by Robbie Shone, Nat Geo...

  9. How to Visit the Meroe Pyramids in Sudan

    There are four different sites where you can visit pyramids in Sudan, but in general the Meroe pyramids are the most popular, in the best condition, receive the most funding, and are historically the most important. You can even do a day trip from Khartoum if you're really short on time.

  10. Exploring Sudan's forgotten pyramids

    Sudan's forgotten pyramids —. More than 200 pyramids are believe to be located in Sudan. About 177 are located in the Island of Meroe, while the other 74 are in the Nuri region. Michael Lawson ...

  11. Meroe Pyramids

    Sudan Near This Place Battle of Abu Klea Memorial Sheikh Hamad-al Nil Tomb Every Friday, Sufi dervishes whirl around the tomb in a trance-like state as part of a sacred ritual called dhikr. In...

  12. Archaeological Sites of the Island of Meroe

    The Archaeological Sites of the Island of Meroe, a semi-desert landscape between the Nile and Atbara rivers, was the heartland of the Kingdom of Kush, a major power from the 8th century B.C. to the 4th century A.D. The property consists of the royal city of the Kushite kings at Meroe, near the River Nile, the nearby religious site of Naqa and ...

  13. Nubian pyramids

    The area of the Nile valley known as Nubia, which lies in northern present-day Sudan, was the site of three Kushite kingdoms during antiquity. The capital of the first was at Kerma (2500-1500 BC). The second was centered on Napata (1000-300 BC). The third kingdom was centered on Meroë (300 BC-300 AD).

  14. Interactive: Explore Sudan's pyramids of Meroe

    Viewers will be able to explore the Pyramids of Meroë in Sudan, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage site, in great detail by virtually ...

  15. How to Visit Karima and the Barkal Pyramids

    In this area you'll find the Barkal pyramids, Jabel Barkal, the ruins of the temples of Mut and Amun and the Karima museum. Directions: All the sites in the Karima area are marked on Maps.Me and Google Maps, so finding them is easy.

  16. The Nubian pyramids of Sudan

    The 35 pyramids grouped in five sites discovered in Sudan remain a huge attraction for Sudan's tourists. The industry ravaged the effects of economic sanctions imposed throughout the country's civil war and the conflict in Darfur. The country now receiving fewer than 15,000 tourists per year.

  17. How to Visit the Meroe Pyramids, Naqa and Musawwarat es-Sufra

    Day 1: Travel to the Meroe pyramids in the morning with plenty of food and water, spend the afternoon there and watch the sunset. In the evening, hitchhike to Shendi and spend the night there. Day 2: Get up early in the morning and visit Naqa and Musawwarat es-Sufra by private vehicle. The main challenge with this itinerary is that you'll ...

  18. The Nubian Pyramids: What To Know About Pyramids Along The Nile

    Today this region is the northern part of what is today Sudan. The Nubians were heavily influenced by the Egyptians downstream of the Nile, and so they set about building their own pyramids. The Nubian pyramids are located where three Kushite kingdoms once reigned. These kingdoms spanned the periods 2,500 to 1,500 BC, 1,000 to 300 BC, and 300 ...

  19. The Nubian Pyramids, The Tombs Of Sudan's 'Black Pharaohs'

    The Nubian king Alara ruled from the city of Napata along the Nile River in what is today Sudan. Given the vast Egyptian influence over the Nubian kings, the rulers began to use pyramids as burial sites. The first one was built around 700 B.C.E. in El-Kurru as the tomb of Alara's successor, Kashta, and his son, Piye.

  20. Ultimate Sudan Travel Guide- Getting to the Meroe Pyramids

    The Meroë Pyramids are a complex of nearly 200 small pyramids built between 2,700 and 2,300 years ago. Once upon a time, this ground was host to the capital of The Kingdom of Kush in the ancient lands of Nubia. Today the lands of Nubia are Northern Sudan and the southern part of Egypt.

  21. A guide for traveling to Sudan: Itinerary + Travel tips

    For more information about the pyramids, read: How to visit the Nubian pyramids in Sudan. Where to stay in Karima - I stayed in Al-Nassr, a very simple hotel frequented by Sudanese. Price can be negotiated but I paid 100SDG ($4.10) for a double room with private bathroom. Update: In 2018, travelers are already paying 150SDG.

  22. 14 Fascinating Places to Visit in Sudan

    Sudan technically has more pyramids than Egypt, though they're smaller and often less well preserved. If you're going to see one pyramid site in Sudan, make it the pyramids of Meroë. Usually visited as a day trip from Khartoum or en route from Atbara, this site is the best preserved and also the most popular pyramid site in Sudan (meaning ...

  23. Sudan Tours

    There are many places to visit in Sudan - a few of our favourite places to visit are Khartoum, the Red Sea, the Pyramids of Meroe, Musawarat, Dinder National Park, the deserted Nile City of Old Dongola.Have a look at our Sudan tours here and get a glimpse at the many places you'll get to visit. ... The best time to visit Sudan is around Jan ...

  24. This ancient diary reveals how Egyptians built the Great Pyramids

    Pyramid port. The Wadi al-Jarf site consists of several different areas, spread over several miles between the Nile and the Red Sea. From the direction of the Nile, the first area, about three ...