The Forgotten Pyramids of Meroë

In a desert in eastern Sudan, along the banks of the Nile River, lies a collection of nearly 200 ancient pyramids—many of them tombs of the kings and queens of the Meroitic Kingdom which ruled the area for more than 900 years. The Meroë pyramids, smaller than their Egyptian cousins, are considered Nubian pyramids, with narrow bases and steep angles on the sides, built between 2,700 and 2,300 years ago, with decorative elements from the cultures of Pharaonic Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Though the pyramids are one of the main attractions for Sudan's tourists, the local tourism industry has been devastated by a series of economic sanctions imposed by various Western nations throughout the course of the country's civil war and the conflict in Darfur. According to reports, Sudan now receives fewer than 15,000 tourists per year, compared to past estimates of as many as 150,000.
Read more
Hints: View this page full screen. Skip to the next and previous photo by typing j/k or ←/→.

Most Recent

  • Kyodo / Reuters
    • In Focus
    • Sep 5, 2018
    • 21 Photos

    Images of the Destruction Left by Typhoon Jebi in Japan

    Yesterday, the most powerful typhoon to hit Japan in 25 years tore through the western part of the country with heavy rain and violent winds.

  • Leo Correa / AP
    • In Focus
    • Sep 4, 2018
    • 28 Photos

    In Photos: The Smoldering Remains of Brazil's National Museum

    Photos from the scene of a fire that burned through the 200-year-old National Museum of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro, destroying countless artifacts.

  • Ahn Young-joon / AP
    • In Focus
    • Aug 31, 2018
    • 35 Photos

    Photos of the Week: Bog Snorkeling, Air Guitar, Canadian Calf

    Competition in the 2018 Asian Games, the new tallest statue in the world under construction in India, memorials for both Aretha Franklin and Senator John McCain, and much more

  • Lukas Bischoff Photograph / Shutterstock
    • In Focus
    • Aug 30, 2018
    • 24 Photos

    Photos: Along the Namibian Coast

    Namibia has nearly a thousand miles of coastline, shaped by the winds and largely unpopulated, where the Namib Desert meets the Atlantic Ocean.

Most Popular on The Atlantic

  1. This Is a Constitutional Crisis
  2. We're Watching an Antidemocratic Coup Unfold
  3. How Well-Intentioned White Families Can Perpetuate Racism
  4. Congressional Republicans Are the Real Authors of the Anonymous Op-Ed
  5. Why Does the School Day End Two Hours Before the Workday?
  6. The Woodward Book Puts a Target on Mattis's Back
  7. Why Technology Favors Tyranny
  8. Woodward’s Account of Trump’s Mock Interview With Prosecutors Isn’t Pretty
  9. It’s Time for the Press to Stop Complaining—And to Start Fighting Back
  10. The Absurdist Spectacle of the Nike Boycotts
Back to Top