Sudan is by far the country with the most pyramids in the world. Bordering Egypt, it is home to between 220 and 255 of these structures, compared to just under 120 for its neighbor.
The ancient kingdom of Kush
Generally smaller than their Egyptian counterparts, the pyramids Sudanese were erected by the rulers of the ancient kingdom of Kush, in Nubia (which extended from Aswan in Egypt to Khartoum in Sudan). Having become a major power in the eighth century BCE, the Kushites even briefly administered Egypt from the city of Napata.
First of these black pharaohs”, Piye reigned from 743 to 713 BCE. Impressed by the sumptuous and massive pyramids of previous pharaohs, he demanded a similar tomb, and became the first Kushite ruler to be buried in this type of structure, in the heart of the necropolis of El-Kourrou (present-day Sudan).
After losing control of Egypt, around 656 BCE, the Kushites established their new capital at Meroe (also in Sudan), concentrating the vast majority of the Nubian pyramids.
Around 200 of these distinctive structures were erected in the ancient city’s necropolis, the final resting place of 41 rulers, starting in the third century BCE.
A heritage widely vandalized in the 19th century
Weakened by repeated incursions from the neighboring kingdom of Aksum, Meroe fell during the fourth century AD. It was not until the 1830s that the legacy of this important ancient civilization was “brutally » rediscovered.
After learning of massive structures housing potential treasures, Italian doctor and explorer Giuseppe Ferlini vandalized several dozen of these structures, which turned out to house numerous gold and silver jewelry.
Although some Meroe pyramids have been partially restored, most are still in an advanced state of disrepair. Due to decades of conflict in Sudan, the ancient necropolis remains a minor tourist destination.