When we think of pyramids the first thing our mind visualizes are the pyramids of Egypt. Did you know that Sudan has more pyramids than Egypt, yet sees almost no tourists? A rare luxury in today’s world of mass tourism.
Sudan is an African country which, like Egypt, has many pyramids and also bears witness to the natural talent of the human being and also its history. It is a wonderful place where we can touch the past with our fingertips, yet sadly it seems to have been forgotten. Sudan is one of the countries receiving the fewest tourists each year.
You may not even have heard of it, or know that this country has far more pyramids than Egypt. They are in the area of Meroe where hundreds of them can be observed. Some are better preserved than others but all of them are incredible constructions of more than 2000 years ago and show the greatness of ancient civilizations.
Perhaps they have gone unnoticed because of the political instability that characterises Sudan has deterred tourists, making a visit here very different from previous experiences. In Giza taking a decent photograph without crowds of tourists in the frame can require extraordinary effort. In Meroe, solitude is our greatest ally. A oasis for those interested in the past and the legacy it has left us time and not just those monuments that has been gaining fame.
Yes, we know Egypt’s pyramids win for sheer spectacle at first sight. But look closely at Sudan’s, and they will leave you speechless. There are large and small ones, more and less decorated, and some truly colossal examples. A landscape of dunes completes the scene, making you feel as though you have stepped into a time machine.
Now it is your turn to see for yourself: a challenge to visit these other, secret and forgotten pyramids. Sudan awaits.
→ More information about our trips to Sudan:
- Black Pharaohs. Nubia and the Nile region (departure 27 December)
- Black pharaohs. Archaeological route and Nubian villages