What you need to know about the Nubian pyramids

The pyramids, the mysterious royal tombs of a thousand years ago, continue to amaze millions of people today and take the breath away from those who see them up close. However, when it comes to the pyramids, many people think of the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. Yes, it is quite natural that Egypt, which is home to the most majestic heritage of Ancient Egypt, is identified with the pyramids. However, when it comes to the pyramids, it is worth mentioning that there are much more fertile lands in the world than in Egypt. There are more than 200 pyramids in the Nubian Desert in northern Sudan, called the Nubian Pyramids.

Moreover, it is believed that some of these pyramids were built hundreds of years before the pyramids of ancient Egypt. However, it is difficult to say that these structures of great historical importance are getting the value they deserve given the popularity of their Egyptian counterparts. Okay, but why? Here’s what you need to know about the Nubian pyramids.

The Nubian pyramids are located in the deserts of the Nubian region, corresponding to the area between Aswan in Egypt and Khartoum in Sudan.

More than 250 pyramids are known to have been built in this vast desert land of Sudan.

The Nubian pyramids were built between 700 and 350 BC.

As in ancient Egypt, in Sudan these unique structures were also used as “royal tombs”.

The lands of modern Sudan thousands of years ago were ruled by the “Bird Kingdom”.

The Nubian pyramids are one of the historical structures that survived from this kingdom. According to some reports, around 750 BC, after the fall of the 24th Egyptian dynasty, the Kingdom of Kush took over the region. The Nubian king Alara ruled over what is today known as Sudan. The first of the pyramids was built in 700 BC.

The rapid expansion and enrichment of the kingdom of Kush led to an increase in the number of pyramids in Sudan.

The Kingdom of Kush continued to build pyramids in the desert regions of Sudan until it was defeated by the Kingdom of Aksum in 330 BC. and disappeared into the dusty pages of history.

Academic research on the Nubian pyramids only began in the mid-1800s.

Until the mid-1800s, many ancient pyramids were dominated by marauders, thieves and treasure hunters. So much so that in the 1830s, Italian explorer Giuseppe Ferlini smashed the tops of 40 pyramids to find hidden treasures…

After many years of robbery and looting, the Nubian pyramids were almost completely empty.

For this reason, no significant historical artifacts have been found inside the buildings. However, as a result of their research, scientists managed to discover something very interesting about the Nubian pyramids.

The Nubian pyramids have some very interesting and different features from the Egyptian pyramids.

For example, these pyramids, built in the deserts of Sudan, had much smaller foundations than their Egyptian counterparts. In addition, its sides are much steeper than in Egypt. However, there are other extremely interesting differences between the pyramids in the two countries.

The burial chambers of the pyramids in Egypt are located inside the pyramids.

However, in this sense, the Nubian pyramids are very different from the pyramids in Egypt. Because the burial chambers in the structures of Sudan are not inside the pyramids, but under them. In other words, despite the fact that they were built in very close geographic locations and for similar purposes, the Sudanese pyramids differ from the pyramids in Egypt in important ways.

The Nubian pyramids are just as impressive as their Egyptian counterparts and have a deep history. However, the number of people who know about these majestic structures is extremely small.

Okay, but why? Of course, there are several reasons for this situation. First, Sudan lacks the funds and resources to present the region and the pyramids to the world. In other words, it is very difficult to say that any activity is being carried out to develop the tourism industry in the region.

Sudan has been the scene of a bloody civil war for many years, and this is one of the reasons why the pyramids do not receive the recognition they deserve around the world.

Sudan is a “land of civil wars” that began in 1955 and ended in 1972, then began in 1983 and ended in 2005, and finally from 2013 to 2020. For this reason, many countries even today classify Sudan as a travel risk country. Accordingly, while Egypt receives significant tourism income from the pyramids of Giza, which are visited by millions of tourists every year, Sudan is deprived of an important economic resource that it can use to develop and promote the Nubia region.

The Nubian pyramids are now in danger of extinction

Unfortunately, it seems impossible for the Sudanese government to keep the Nubian Pyramids safe and sound without tourism revenue and sustainable financial resources. On the other hand, the adverse effects of climate change, sandstorms and other natural phenomena strongly felt in the region are causing irreparable damage to the pyramids.

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