january-2019

10 / NATURE / Views /
NATURE / 11
The Lost
World
Swept by the desert
sands of Eastern
Sudan, the MEROË
PYRAMIDS are
crumbling tombs of
the powerful Nubian
kings and queens who
ruled this land for
600 years.
text Annemarie Hoeve
WHILE THE ICONIC pyramids
of Giza draw millions of tourists every
year, few people know that Sudan has
more than twice the number of pyramids
as Egypt. Nearly 200 of these stand in
Meroë, an ancient city on the eastern
bank of the Nile, some 200 km northeast
of Khartoum.
They were built around 2,000 years
ago, when Meroë was the capital of the
mighty Kingdom of Kush, which was
centred here between 300 BC and 300
AD, and once dominated the region,
extending into Upper Egypt.
The tombs were looted long ago,
yet ornate reliefs remain, offering a
fascinating glimpse of this great
civilisation. Archaeologists have also
uncovered countless historical treasures,
including horse harnesses, pottery and
coloured glass, indicating early trade
with the Mediterranean.
But perhaps the best treasure of all
is the solitude: you can have this magical
place virtually to yourself.
Kenya Airways flies direct to Khartoum
International Airport from Nairobi’s Jomo
Kenyatta International Airport.
Robert Harding