Archaeology handicrafts and science and technology sites to visit Sudan

Entry 20 SDG. We must maginer what Frédéric Cailliaud had to feel about these pyramids, almost 200 years ago! At that time, they were in better condition and still had their summit. Let's say at the outset that the site of Merowe is Exceptional and that it retains a colourful environment and environment different from those that can be found in Egypt. The grey (very) gray stone and the orange (very) orange orange highlight its singular character. However, these pyramids, which were originally more than 200 copies in the region, do not have the dimensions of their great Egyptian sisters. They are different. More pentues, filled with embankment (the burial chamber is underneath and not in), and with a chapel adorned with tower towers, east oriented and is supposed to lead, via a false door, to the last resting place of the deceased, or the deceased. Because the candaces, these mythical queens of Merowe, were also entitled to their personal pyramid. The dead, in Egyptian fashion, were represented in the form of the Bâ bird, which had their head.

By visiting the various chapels, don't miss to observe the little marvels of bas-reliefs inspired by the Book of the Dead. As, for example, the only Sudanese representation of the soul, where the heart of the sovereign is placed on the balance and compared with the pen of Mâat, under the gaze of Anubis and Osiris… If you are passionate (and you have time) know that there is a pyramid whose height of angle has the hieroglyphic name d'Amun, another with, on an exterior wall of its chapel, a model of the angle used by architects to build these buildings, and one with the representation of a grape cluster and a jar, some of which bad languages say it was a boss to draw rich queens!!

Pyramids, there are many styles. First in stairs, in the south, they become smooth to the north. Archaeologists have reconstituted some of them in anastylose, giving a good idea, with their cream colour foam coating, what to look like the site originally. It should be noted that there are historically several necropolises in the region. The oldest (and the oldest), which probably dates from the beginning of the kingdom of Merowe, towards the th century BC, is located more west of the main site, near the Nile and above all the former royal city (see below). You will also notice, on the main site, several more remote pyramids in the southeast. Those that are aligned along the ridge, these pyramids that are seen by far from the road, are the most "recent" and in better condition.

The last thing about summits. The elements are not solely responsible for their disappearance! In 1834, Giuseppe Ferlini, an Italian fighter fighter, had the idea of ététer the pyramids with dynamite, believing that he would find thousand riches there. After he had massacred many, to the point that many seem to be about to collapse, one confirmed his hopes. That of Queen Amanishakheto, now known for her "treasure".

The site is more than 500 m from the road. Temple merchants sell souvenirs but you won't find any groceries. So think about bringing water and food. Sands will certainly invite you to climb on their camels (sorry, we don't know "dromadairiers"). An original experience on an extraordinary site! But that will not be free. Get ready to negotiate if you are interested.

For photos, if you are on the site at the sunrise, think of climbing one of the hills to the east to get a remarkable overview. In the evening, the orange light is simply magic.

The Oasis of Salima is located approximately kilometres west of the shelter. It is one of the largest oases in Sudan. Desert trekking enthusiasts will certainly enjoy getting lost, especially since this oasis has a long history, linked to the ancient caravanière route of which Salima was an important step.

Déjà already mentioned a Commercial Road through the Desert that connected Egypt to the heart of Africa. A road that required a trip length of "40 days". Still, the track through the sands is borrowed by the nomads and retains its nickname of "El al-Arbain" (track of the forty), although the route has evolved and that the duration of forty days has little relevance!

Historically, the runway began at the oasis of Kharga in southwestern Egypt. Kharga is the largest oasis in southern Egypt, and another route connects it to the Nile. It crossed the Desert desert to Kutum, near the current El Fasher, the historic capital of Darfur. Over time, the word'runway'was used to designate all the desert caravan roads from the far north of Sudan to Khartoum or in Kordofan, in addition to Darfur. Following a trail of known Bedouin wells, these roads had the merit of avoiding the large consuming loops formed by the Nile in northern Sudan, but also limited the risk of caravanes the caravans. From the end of the th century, the English reduced traffic trailers specialized in the slave transit. The marginalization of both Darfur and the hosting roads in the next century, with the development of the railways, has definitively put an end to the permanent use of the runway.

If you're interested in this "40 days" journey, check with specialist tour operators or get started in adventure, provided you are properly equipped and equipped with the necessary permits. It's much better to be already a great breed of such expeditions.

The last thing: for security reasons, forget the Libyan border and Darfur.

So hold! Des pyramids in this napatéen decor… Dating from the period from Napata's decline to Merowe's rise in power, these pyramids were built at an "intermediate" moment that made them forget about Sudanese imagery. There is, however, a crucial difference in relation to the pyramids of Merowe. Four of them still have their summit. Why did these sovereigns choose this place? Perhaps because it lies between the sacred piton and the horizon where the sun is couche.

Entrance 20 SDG. To the west of the road (there is a sign), the ruins of the royal complex on the banks of the Nile must have been the center of the capital. It is now overgrown with acacia trees, and it is difficult to imagine its importance at the time of its heyday, when it probably housed more than 20,000 inhabitants. Apart from a few archaeological tells, there remain the remains of a temple of Amun (still identified by ram statues at the entrance), the bases of a temple of the Lion (a little outside the city, as it should be), but above all the more substantial remains of royal baths. Could these baths be the "fountains of youth" to which, according to Herodotus, the Meroians owed their supposed longevity?

Excavations on the site have brought to light a bronze head of the Roman emperor Augustus. It originally came from Egypt where, in 23 BC, the Romans were battling a Nubian revolt in the south, where they wanted to establish themselves. The Roman troops confronted those of Meroe and even razed the city of Napata, the former Kushite capital. In revenge, the head of a statue of Augustus was taken from Egypt and brought back to Meroe, where it was placed under the step of a palace door: thus Augustus was symbolically "trampled"!

Although the entrance is not free, it is interesting to visit a site that lives in the shadow of the postcard pyramids. Note that the ghaffir keeps the key of the baths.

Admire an Egyptian-inspired temple and a Roman-Roman amphitheatre with an arid savannah decor is not banal… This all the more so since neither the Egyptians nor the Greeks or the Romans built these buildings. It was the charm of the Méroïtique civilization that had been able to combine a large number of cultural influences.

The two buildings are behind barbed wire. The presence of many animals due to the close of the well may not be foreign.

The booth, whose utility remains discussed, is characterized by Egyptian lintels, interspersed with uraeus, corinthians capitals and Roman arches. Lions are visible on the top of the windows inside. Because the whole place is dedicated to the lion, the lion god Apademak. The temple behind the entrance tower shows a well-known scene of the egyptologists. The sovereign and his triumphant wife, about to decapitate a group of enemies at their mercy. It is King Natakamani and Queen Amanitore, observed by Horus, the eagle, and especially the god-creator Amun, to which their names refer (Aman-, -Amani). Lions devour prisoners at their feet… On the side of the tower, the asks master is represented with an emerging snake from a lotus. The bas-reliefs surrounding the temple are superb. On the west side, a strange Apademak with three heads and four arms surprise at the center of the scene. The inspiration seems frankly Indian… But how? By approaching, it is also noted that both hands of the sides of the underside are represented with the thumb and the related index, in the same way as those… from the Buddha. Inside the wall on the left, we end up breaking the Egyptian canons by representing a three-quarters deity, with a beard sealed! This is undoubtedly a Greek or Persian god…

But where one thinks of being in the middle of nowhere in Africa, what emotion to feel the presence etched in the stone of the culture of distant countries… This may already be the globalization old sauce!

In the east of the grand hall, you can see the temple of the Lion, dedicated to the god Apademak, with the lion head. It is a purely local deity that does not exist in Egypt. Although the whole is inspired by Egyptian culture, you can be able to note the details that highlight the bas-reliefs. First of all, elephant procession, frequently represented animals. The presence of griffins, as can be observed in the ruins of Persepolis in Iran, the heir country of the great Persian Empire of the ancient world. Also, the proportions of characters are different from those of their Egyptian counterparts, especially nubiennes queens. They are distinguished by their stéatopygie, that is, their generous butt, a symbol of fertility and beauty, particularly in Africa. Outside on the west wall, you will see here too, as in the grand enclosure, that the bas-reliefs have not been finished. Why? Mystery…

The temple was rebuilt in the 1960 s from the stone blocks surrounding the temple. The reconstituted ceiling is probably identical to the one that was there two thousand years ago.

For the entire site, do not forget the 20 regulatory guinées to give to the ghaffir, the guardian of the site, which will open the door of the temple.

Built in the very flank of the jebel, this temple dedicated to the wife of Amun retains bas-reliefs to disappeared colours and walls which have obviously suffered for centuries of ashes and vandals. From the temple, "out of the mountain", remain two proud columns surmounted by capitals effigy of a Hathor at Mona Lisa smile. The reference to these feminine merit figures can make it felt that this temple, located just at the foot of the very phalliforme rocky cobra, had the power to stimulate the fertility of its visitors.

Don't forget that there is a small museum south of the site

Free visit. Built in the th century before our era by the successor of Amenhotep III, the "monotheistic" heretical, but famous Akhenaton, the temple was located in a fortress town designed to monitor the border with Kush. There are only three pillars of the temple to be observed. The ruins of Egyptian fortifications are visible at the summit of the Sesi Sesi, overlooking the village of the same name.

The temple of Amun in Soleib, the temple is dedicated to Tiye, the wife of the Sovereign Amenhotep III. It leaves little more than a single column, with its top dominating a heap of ruins. The remains of a vast necropolis (probably used until the méroïtique period) and pyramid bases are hardly visible in proximity. 

Why not take Wau time? In addition to the décor, the site surprises the generosity of its inhabitants and its historical richness. The island was the subject of the first French excavations after the independence of the country, under the direction of Jean Vercoutter, who was also director of the Antiquities Service in Sudan.

Inhabited from the Palaeolithic, the island of Wau served as a border at several times, as in antiquity or during Ottoman domination. A fort was built on the ancient site of another strong place, located half an hour walk upstream from the landing site along the river. From the Christian era there are four columns, one of which is to the overthrown top, unique remains of an extinct church. These two sites are still being searched and their visit is free. The largest village on the island is a quarter hour walk through fields, west of the landing site. There are some small grocery stores and tea houses, open in the afternoon for reasons of supply. Don't hesitate to walk around the area, not to mention a lot of water.

At 10 km south of the shelter, the landing is in principle accessible by taxi, for 10 SDG, or by minibus. Coming from the south, ask the driver of the minibus to drop you in the exact place where you go; he will have a duty to drive you there. The ferry goes back and returns every 2 hours. There is no lokanda on site.

It is very broad and does not reveal its treasures. It is now a Polish mission that is carrying out the excavations. Unfortunately, the most beautiful frescoes are visible only when the team is on the site, that is almost exclusively in winter. The two-storey building, on the hill overlooking the entire site, is visible several kilometres to the round. Probably a church originally, whose interior seems to have been dedicated to the royal scene. Along the river lies the remains of a brick palace, which remains a few floors, walls and arcades. Thousands of pieces of pottery litter the surrounding soil.

If you spend the night on the spot, the light at sunset is beautiful.

Formerly located in the heart of the city, the western deffufa is nearly 20 m high and may suffer as much from the birds that nest in its walls as wind and sand. A staircase leads, in two stages, until its summit, passing the corridor that probably led to the burial chamber. The old location of the houses is symbolized in the surroundings by the bases by the way.

As its name indicates, eastern deffufa is located a few kilometres farther east. With smaller proportions, its remains can see that there are two inner halls, the entrance of which is still mentioned by remnants of columns. Fragments of cylindrical stone form a line on the ground through both pieces.

A museum opened in 2008 on the western deffufa site and is expected to expand to accommodate more visitors on the site. His interest is certain because he brings together very beautiful pieces which testify to the past richness of Kerma, including statues, pottery and objects of everyday life. The inhabitants of the Région region, which archaeologists gather under the impersonal label of "Group C", were farmers, fishermen and livestock breeders. Kerma had developed a refined art of pottery and worked a lot of metal. Traditional mud houses and land bricks protected heat. They are always built in the same way in 2010, even though the climate of the time was probably more lenient than these days.

Funeral practices are also mentioned. Inspired by their prehistoric ancestors of the group said "A", Nubian used to build circular graves and place their dead in foetal position, looking east and sunrise. Depending on the degree of tension with neighbours, particularly Egypt, there is the presence of weapons in funeral sites. More commonly, it is pottery, food or jewellery for women who accompany the deceased.

All ages from Neolithic to Islam are covered, with figurative reconstructions.

The best preserved medieval monastery in Sudan. Located in the desert of the Bayuda, a decor peculiar to contemplation and prayer, it was relatively preserved armed assaults and still retains high walls thick walls, marble slabs as well as arcades and enceinte. With Old Dongola and Faras frescoes, this is the most beautiful testimony of the Christian era in Nubia. Certainly linked to the monastery of Saint-Antoine in the Egyptian Sinai and the Church of Alexandria, the monastery fell into désuétude as Islam was required in the region.

By schématisant a little, one might say that the Site site is Le napatéen. However, it is not in the same state as its illustrious counterpart. Let us remember that it is older and that the construction stone is not the same. In fact, the necropolis of Nuri précéda that of Merowe. It probably welcomes, in the highest pyramid and the oldest of the site, the most famous Des sovereigns, Taharqa, Pharaoh Black of the xxviii dynasty. This is a little difficult to see nowadays, given the level of erosion of the building, but it is in principle the fourth, starting from the south, in the main alignment. The site has over fifty tombs of sovereign and sovereign.

In 664 BC, Taharqa decided to stand out from his predecessors by settling permanently over 5 km north of Karima on the other shore. He was not really followed by his successors, perhaps unhappy about what he left from Lower Egypt to the Assyrians, returning to El-Kurru. After the fall of the Black Pharaohs, Nuri became, until the third century, the necropolis of the sovereigns of Kush. Note that, for Taharqa, controversy has long divided archaeologists as to the real location of its last stay, after the discovery in Sedeinga in the 1960 s of a grave with a cartridge bearing its name.

Egyptian influence was now considerable at the peak of Napata's power. As with architecture, funeral rites were inspired by those in the north. The use of gold masks for the deceased and that of canopes vessels for its organs bears witness to this. During the first European excavations, in 1917, we were able to discover several funeral chambers, with some of their treasures, including many chaouabti (or oushebti), momiformes figurines symbolizing servants accompanying their master in the other world.

Entry 10 SDG, to pay at the ghaffir, in the house on the left after the old door at the end of the bridge. The old town, or just the island of Suakin. A round of round land of a few thousand square metres, in the middle of an cove whose channel has been expanded over the centuries to accommodate high-tonnage vessels. The whole creek is above all a coral formation. It is, of course, that the dried structure of the animal has been used as construction material for buildings. Unfortunately, the wind, the sprays and the rainy rain will not have been enough to preserve them from collapse.

According to the legend, Suakin has been, since the times of King Solomon, the place of banishing the jinn, the evil demons that many Sudanese still fear today. A sad reputation that fitted well with its slave status for several centuries. What injustice, however, for this island, which was still an important point of passage on the road of India, before the discovery of the Cape of Good hope by the Europeans and the Ottoman stranglehold on the coastal region in the th century. Merchants from Europe and Asia had established themselves. Its location also made it the great African port on the road to Mecca. But at the end of the th century, when the English invest in the region, it's no more than a village on the margins of the rest of the world.

If you have the opportunity before you come, we advise you to see photos of the island dating from the beginning of the last century. The contrast then will be more striking. The city has been abandoned, it seems to have been bombed, mutilated. Many people were forced to win Port Sudan. Others remained and settled on the continent. Some buildings, however, retain a form that distinguishes them from the ruins surrounding it.

The two small mosques first, Shafai and Hanafi. It is difficult to date with certainty, but it is possible that they are those described by the Portuguese, more than 400 years ago. Hanafi Mosque (the most easterly) is the object of a serious restoration. And there's work! Two-storey Ottoman houses, with their typical Red Sea moucharabieh, have disappeared. The former residence of the governor of the Sublime Gate was to be the home of Khorshid Effendi, in the north-east of the island, near the Bank of Egypt building, in "best" state than the others. Kitchener had taken the portrait with his officers in this house with an open "checker" (where hearings were held), all decorated stucco. In the west of the Shafai mosque, the buildings, which are likely to be portuaire (warehouses?), are also interesting. Besides, a house (an official palace?) has partially preserved its floor and its double staircase, which still falls in ruins and gives… on a vacuum. A superb decoration with stucco features is still visible inside.

On the mainland, don't miss a small tower along the creek. In the "new" city, the Taj as-Sir mosque (closest to the old door of the city) deserves to be stopped.