Kingdoms and Monuments of Afre Kh: The Meroe Pyramids (Kingdom of Kush, Sudan)

FEELNUBIA PRESENTS: THE MEROE PYRAMIDS (KINGDOM OF KUSH, SUDAN)

The ancient Nubian Kingdom of Kush flourished from around 2600 B.C. to 300 A.D. and held power over a vast area covering the Nile valley (modern Egypt) and extended as far as Khartoum (modern Sudan).

The Kushite kingdom at various times had its capital at Kerma (2600–1520 BC), Napata (1000–300 BC) and Meroë. The latter became very important as the Kingdom’s centre from around 300 B.C. to 300 A.D. Kush’s wealth was due to a strong iron industry and international trade involving India and China. Kerma was Nubia’s first centralized state with its indigenous forms of architecture and burial customs. The Kushite kingdom competed with Egypt and during the late period of Ancient Egyptian history, the rulers of Napata conquered and unified Egypt herself, ruling as the pharaohs of the twenty-fifth Dynasty. The Napatan domination of Egypt ended with the Assyrian conquest in 656 BC. Metalworking was conducted in bloomeries and blast furnaces in Meroe, earning it (in modern times) the name: “the Birmingham of Africa” because of the production and trade of iron to the rest of the world at a time when iron was one of the most important metals worldwide. Although Meroitic metalworkers were among the best in the world, the Kingdom of Kush also exported cotton textiles and gold. It is believed that the Egyptian word for gold nub, was sourced from the name of Nubia.

Meroe was also famous for its pyramids and tombs built to house the bodies of their kings and nobles. Described by  British writer Basil Davidson as one of the largest archaeological sites in the world, the Meroe Pyramids are located in the North-East of Sudan near the banks of the Nile in the area commonly known as Nubia. There are a total of 223 pyramids in the area, double the number of pyramids in Egypt. The underground graves of the Nubian pyramids were richly decorated and also housed the remains of high-ranking priests.
The physical proportions of Nubian pyramids differ markedly from the Egyptian ones.  The Meroe pyramids were constructed from large blocks of sandstone and were angled more steeply than the Egyptian pyramids, being built of stepped courses of horizontally positioned stone blocks ranging from approximately six to thirty metres in height. They rise from fairly small foundation footprints that rarely exceed eight metres in width, resulting in tall, narrow structures inclined at approximately seventy degrees. Most also have temple structures at their base, bearing unique Kushite characteristics. In comparison, Egyptian pyramids of similar height generally had foundation footprints that were at least five times larger and were inclined at angles of between forty and fifty degrees.
Excavations of the Pyramids started in the mid 19th Century. A notorious Italian explorer, Giuseppe Ferlini (1800-1870), smashed the tops off 40 pyramids in a quest to find treasure. He did find a cache of gold, which was sold. Some of the treasures remain at the museums in Munich and Berlin along with samples of Meroitic writing and reliefs depicting historical events. Through the years, the pyramids have been plundered of all their wealth and left to the elements. But many of the pyramids still stand and their architectural elegance draws tourists annually. Some of the pyramids have been reconstructed.
Visitors require a permit issued in Khartoum from the Antiquities Service. The Pyramids are situated relatively close to the town of Shendi which is on the railway line that follows the Nile. There is a village close to the ruins which may offer some basic accommodation and a long day trip can be arranged from Khartoum. Tourists are encouraged to bring along food and drink.  More @ Meroe WHC