Why does Sudan have so many pyramids?
Amazingly, Sudan has twice as many pyramids as Egypt — but why? Who built the Sudan pyramids? Did the Egyptians influence the look of these structures?
Image: The Meroë pyramid complex in Sudan | stock.adobe.com
What do you think of when someone mentions the pyramids? Probably the three at Egypt’s Giza complex, including the iconic Great Pyramid. Surprisingly, however, Egypt isn’t the African country with the highest number of pyramids!
That accolade instead goes to its southern neighbour Sudan, which boasts more than 200 pyramids. In Egypt’s case, the tally is closer to 100. This all begs the question: why are there so many more pyramids in Sudan?
It’s a question we’ve been pondering at Sky HISTORY. That’s why we’ve dived deep into the history of the Sudan pyramids — including who built them and how they relate to their Ancient Egyptian counterparts.
The origins of the pyramids in Sudan
The Sudan pyramids are in a region called Nubia, itself once home to the Kingdom of Kush. This ancient kingdom lasted from about 780 BC to about AD 350 and fluctuated in size throughout its history. At its largest geographical extent, Kush comprised much of the land currently taken up by the modern states of Egypt and Sudan.
From 744 to 656 BC, the Kushite monarchs even ruled Ancient Egypt, too, as its 25th Dynasty. For most of the Kushite kingdom’s existence, however, it was ruled separately to Egypt, with both cultural and trade links flourishing between the two countries.
This all helps to explain why Kushite leaders took cues from the Egyptians when it came to preparing for the afterlife. While the Giza pyramids were built around 2,600 to 2,500 BC, the Nubian pyramids didn’t start emerging until about the 7th century BC.
What does the earliest Nubian pyramid site teach us?
Why have Sudan’s pyramids been so overlooked compared to Egypt’s? One simple reason is civil war leaving Sudan too dangerous for many tourists to visit. However, if you do get the chance to safely explore the Sudan pyramids, where exactly should you start?
You can find most of these pyramids in the areas of El-Kurru, Nuri, Jebel Barkal and Meroë. The earliest Sudan pyramids were built in El-Kurru, the resting place of the last 25th Dynasty king, Tantamani. Just don’t expect to find his pyramid there.
That’s because it’s no longer standing — but you can still visit his tomb. Nubian pyramids — unlike Ancient Egyptian pyramids — were built as headstones rather than tombs. So, the ruler’s remains would be interred under the pyramid, not inside it.
Which are the most famous Sudan pyramids?
After Tantamani’s burial, subsequent Nubian kings were laid to rest at Nuri, further up the River Nile. It must have seemed like an obvious choice of location for further burials, as that of Tantamani’s predecessor, King Taharqa, had already taken place there.
Today, some 20 pyramids of Nubian kings and queens remain intact at Nuri — but Taharqa’s pyramid is both the oldest and largest here. The last Kushite king to be buried at Nuri was Nastasen in the 4th century BC — and his pyramid, too, still stands today.
The Nuri site has been excavated by archaeologists George Reisner in the early 20th century and Pearce Paul Creasman since 2018. During the century-long interlude, groundwater levels in Nuri rose due to numerous factors, including local dam projects and climate change. As a result, explorers have had to resort to underwater archaeology techniques to make new discoveries in the area.
The stunning if desecrated beauty of the Meroë pyramids
Of the various Nubian pyramid sites, Meroë is the most extensive. This has long left it the ideal place to study many archetypal features of Sudan pyramids. These include Egyptian motifs revealing how heavily the design of pyramids in Sudan was influenced by the Kushite kingdom’s northern neighbour.
The pyramids in Meroë include that of the warrior queen Amanirenas, famous for losing an eye in battle. Her successor Amanishaketo, whose face is depicted in a carving on a Meroë pyramid, is similarly renowned for preserving the kingdom’s prosperity.
Nonetheless, pyramids here have sustained major damage. In the 1830s, an Italian treasure hunter called Giuseppe Ferlini destroyed more than 40 Meroë pyramids in the hope of unearthing gold inside. This means many of the structures still around today are now flat at the top, their pointed tips having been carelessly removed.
What makes the Sudan pyramids visually distinctive?
The Sudan pyramids are shorter and narrower than the Egyptian pyramids. This likely reflects differences in how the two different types of pyramids were assembled.
For further revelatory insights into how ancient pyramids were built, make sure you subscribe to the Sky HISTORY Newsletter. Every week, you’ll receive more unmissable history stories from the world just like this sent directly to your inbox.
