Sudan, a country with more pyramids than Egypt but which few people travel to. The country is full of amazingly well-preserved sandstone temples, tombs engraved with images of the pharaohs and pyramids, including the stunning Royal Necropolis of Meroe.
At times this trip felt like you were a Victorian era explorer, cresting a dune to find a temple complex in-front of you and feeling like you were the first to discover it!
Confluence at Al-Morgan
The confluence of the Blue Nile (left) and White Nile (right)
Temple Carvings
The small H-shaped temples at the front of each pyramid contain carvings and hieroglyphics detailing the life of the occupant.
Pyramid Ruins 1
Tombs & Temples
Reconstructed temple preserved in the Archaeological Museum in Khartoum
Pyramid Ruins 2
Wrestling
A Nuba wrestling match on the outskirts of Khartoum. This is extremely popular and draws large crowds
Quarry
In the hills next to the Meroe Necropolis you can find the quarry where much of the stone for the pyramids came from.
Victory Walk
The winner of each wrestling match gets paraded around the ring on the shoulders on the loser!
Royal City
The ruins of the Royal City not far from the necropolis cover a very large area and are still undergoing excavation.
The Melik
The small gunboat that Kitchener sailed up the Nile on his mission to defeat the Mahdi.
Necropolis Sunset
The Mahdi's Tomb
The original tomb was destroyed by the British. In 1947 a duplicate was built on the same site.
Inside Mahdi's Tomb
The tomb is still a pilgrimage destination for many.
Kiosk and Temple
At Naga are 3 temples, the Kiosk (left) is a Greek-Roman temple and the Temple of Apedemak (right) dates from the 1st century CE.
Musicians
Musicians play, sing and dance outside the Mahdi's tomb
Old Graffiti
Many of the walls are covered in old graffiti. Holroyd (1837) left his mark on many Egyptian and Sudanese ruins. Born in 1806 in London and educated at Ripon Grammar School he was instrumental in the abolition of the horrifying slave hunts that used to take place in the region.
Gods
The animal gods and kings carved on the side of the Temple of Apedemak
Local Girls
Two shy local girls watch us with curiosity
Road to Nowhere
An old tire lies by the side of a road cutting through the desert
Winged Sun
The winged sun with raised cobra symbol representing divine authority craved onto a door lintel
