Echoes of ancient civilization ... in Sudan

When we talk about pyramids, we are usually referring to Egypt. However, Egypt isn't the only African country with ancient pyramids rising from its sands. In fact, there are more pyramids in one small section of the northern Sudanese desert than there are in the whole of Egypt.

More than 200 kilometers from Sudan's capital, Khartoum, the remains of an ancient city rise from the arid and inhospitable terrain like a science fiction film set.

Nestled between sand dunes, the secluded pyramids seem to have been forgotten by the modern world, with no nearby restaurants or hotels to cater to tourists.

During Egypt's 25th dynasty (760 BC-656 BC), Meroe, now located in Sudan, was the capital of the Kingdom of Kush, ruled by Nubian kings who had conquered Egypt. The city, 322 km north of Khartoum, contained pyramids for royal burials.

In all, about 220 of the structures were built in Meroe, spread across three sites. They remained relatively intact until the 1830s, when Italian treasure hunter Giuseppe Ferlini smashed the tops off 40 of them while searching for gold and jewels. In recent years, a few have been reconstructed to give travelers a sense of what they used to look like.

Most of the grandiose pyramids are built of solid masonry; many were plastered and painted white. Unlike the Egyptian pyramids, which had tomb chambers inside, the tombs of the Kushite pyramids were dug underground, below the structure.

renqi@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Africa Weekly 01/13/2017 page22)