Location:
Sudan
| Temple of Amun at Gebel Barkal |  |
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The temple and pyramid complexes along in the Nile in Sudan are evidence of the Napatan, Meroitic and Kushite civilisations that ruled here between 900 BC and AD 600. At Gebel Barkal, the Temple of Amun served as a religious centre for the Kush, mirroring Egyptian religious values. The temples are beautifully decorated and have hieroglyphic inscriptions, while the complex also includes tomb pyramids. Further north lie the Egyptian style Temple of Sulb near the village of Wawa and the Temple of Kawa near Dongola. | |
| Pyramids at Meroe | |
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The royal city of Meroe was founded by the Kingdom of Kush, a major power from the 8th century B.C. to the 4th century A.D., whose empire extended from the Mediterranean to the heart of Africa. The pyramids at Meroe are the most impressive and well preserved in Sudan, but virtually deserted compared to their counterparts to the north in Egypt. The site also includes the remains of temples, domestic buildings and water management installations. South of Meroe lie the Lion Temple at Naqa and the palace at Musawwarat es-Sufra. | |
Travel to Pyramids and Temples of Sudan
Organised group tours: The following tours for Pyramids and Temples of Sudan are available:
Travelling through the scenic Nile Valley and into the desert we uncover Sudan's unspoilt cultural and historical heritage. We visit well-preserved sandstone temples, tombs engraved with images of the pharaohs and the many pyramids of the Royal Necropolis of Meroe. We also experience the warm hospitality of the Nubian people and stay in a traditional village house. | |||||||||
This new and exciting short trip offers an amazing insight into the rarely visited and often misunderstood country of Sudan. Blessed with not only some stunning stretches of desert, beneath the sands of Sudan lie some of the most important and visually stunning monuments from the ancient world, including more ancient pyramids than can be found in the whole of Egypt. This is the ancient land of Kush, the old kingdom of the Meroitic kings, lost for centuries under the sands of the Sahara to the south of the great cataracts. Amongst the landscapes of northern Sudan we find the ancient lands of Nubia, where the desert plains are strewn with an incredible collection of archaeological sites that lie far beyond the tourist trappings of the Nile Valley. From the bustling streets and souks of Khartoum, Sudan’s vibrant capital, where the Blue and White Niles meet we’ll follow the mighty Nile river north in 4WDs, discovering some of the desert’s best kept secrets. However this trip is not just about visiting the UNESCO archaeological sites of Jebel Barkal and Meroe and enjoying the desert wilderness – it is also a chance to get beneath the skin of this country and meet the Sudanese people, whose hospitality and kindness are long remembered by those who have travelled to their lands. This is a great trip which will be sure to appeal to those for whom the desert holds a certain magic. | |||||||
The Nile loops a lazy arc through the arid desert, passing the crumbling remains of a civilisation that once lay at the heart of African trade and culture. But this isn't the land of the Pharaohs.This is the ancient land of Kush, the old kingdom of the Meroitic kings, lost for centuries amongst the sands of the Sahara to the south of the great cataracts. Amongst the landscapes of northern Sudan, we find the ancient lands of Nubia, where the desert plains are strewn with an incredible collection of archaeological sites that lie far beyond the tourist trappings of Egypt's well-trodden Nile Valley. Here we find the remains of a civilisation whose culture and power were equal to that of the Pharaohs and whose lasting legacy is an incredible assembly of pyramids that outnumber even those of their northern neighbour. Travelling by road from Aswan to Abu Simbel, we have a chance to visit this UNESCO World Heritage site before we cross into northern Sudan by a newly opened land border (in 2014).From here we begin a journey by road that follows the meandering ribbon of the Nile south. We'll visit the tombs of the Nubian pharaohs and the remains of ancient Coptic kingdoms, we'll stand before the slopes of the holy mountain of Jebel Barkal and gaze in wonder upon the expansive temple complexes of the Meroitic kings. Finally, our adventure ends amongst the bustling streets and souks of Khartoum, Sudan's vibrant capital, where the great river begins its long odyssey north, retracing part of our journey across some of the most ancient and timeless landscapes on earth. | |||||||
