Small pyramids and temples of the Kush Empire - Archaeological Sites of the Island of Meroe 1336; Date palm, knowledge, skills, traditions and practices 01509
What and Why
I am extremely proud that as a Chinese I actually took a Sudanese to his own heritage treasure of Meroë (Arabic: مرواه), during my recent diplomatic work. No joke, the Sudanese actually did not know about Meroë until I took him there and he was truly amazed and proud of what he saw from his own country.
Meroë was the wealthy and prosperous capital of Kush (Egyptian: K3š), one of the most powerful civilisations in Africa during the time. The name is probably related to the biblical character Cush (Hebrew: כוש, Kush) in Genesis (Hebrew: בְּרֵאשִׁית, Bərēʾšīṯ). Meroë was also mentioned in Exodus (Hebrew: שְׁמוֹת, Šəmōṯ,), referred to as Saba. However there seems no direct meaning of the name itself.
The importance of the town gradually increased during the 3rd century BCE and Greek historian Herodotus (Greek: Ἡρόδοτος) described it as 'A great city... said to be the mother city of the other Ethiopians (Greek: μια μεγάλη πόλη...που λέγεται ότι ήταν η γενέτειρα των άλλων Αιθιόπων, Mia megálē pólē... pou légetai óti ḗtan ē genéteira tōn állōn aithiópōn)' in the 5th century BCE. Meroë was located along the middle of the river Nile where the watershed and the connexions to many major rivers aided the local clay and iron industries and prospered the city.
These two sites: pyramids and citadel comprise the best preserved relics of the kingdom of Kush, encompassing a wide range of architectural forms, including pyramids, temples, palaces, and industrial areas that shaped the political, religious, social, artistic and technological scene of the area since the 8th century BCE.
Toponymy
The town was given the name Meroë (Egyptian: Mjrwjwꜣt) by the Persian king, Cambyses (Old Persian: 𐎣𐎲𐎢𐎪𐎡𐎹, Kabūjiya), in honour of his sister who was called by that name.
See
Nubian pyramids (الأهرامات النوبية)
The site map of the Nubian pyramids is as above.
Nubian pyramids (الأهرامات النوبية, Al'ahramat Al-Nuwbia) are pyramids that were built by the rulers of the Kush kingdoms. This area of the Nile valley is known as Nubia (Nobiin: Nobīn), and was home to three Kushite kingdoms during antiquity. The last kingdom was centred on Meroë (3rd century BCE – 3rd century CE). These constructions are built of granite and sandstone. The picture above shows the pyramid of King Amanikhabale, possibly built in early 1st century CE.
The physical proportions of Nubian pyramids differ markedly from the Egyptian counterparts as blogged in Giza (الجيزة): they are small, isosceles, slender structures inclined at approximately 70° and typically stands at around 6 to 10 m. Most have offering temple structures abutting their base with a unique H-shaped doorway. By comparison, Egyptian pyramids of similar height generally had foundation that were much larger and were inclined at less steep angles. Similar to the Egyptian pyramids, these were built as royal tombs for kings, queens, and elites of the Kush. There are around 200 Nubian pyramids scattered across the desert, showcasing unique architectural styles blending Egyptian, Greek, and indigenous influences.
The pyramid below belongs to Queen Amanishakheto, again built during the 1st century CE.
In front of the bigger pyramids there usually lies an H-shaped doorway which connects to a chapel, where one does the worship and is probably the main tomb. As expected the artefacts have all been removed and the chapel is presently a small niche. The pyramid below belongs to perhaps Queen Nahirqo, reigned during the 2nd century BCE and this is the largest pyramid in the site.
The area of the pyramid clusters is huge and to explore most of it, it is best done by a camel-ride, which is only SDG 50 ج.س (Jineh Sudani, Sudanese pound). By the way, the site is located in a real desert and walking on sand is not the easiest exploration, especially under the scorching sun. The photograph below shows my Sudanese friend on a camel exploring his own country's heritage.
Meroitic Palace and Royal City (القصر المروى والمدينة الملكية)
A few kilometres away from the pyramid clusters one will find the Meroitic Palace and Royal City (القصر المروى والمدينة الملكية, Al-Qasr Al-Marwaa Walmadinat Al-Malakia). The size and the construction does suggest it must have been a great, prosperous royal city.
The ruined columns and city structure do suggest that this was once a massive, developed and prosperous city. Meroë was a major centre for ironworks and Meroitic metalworkers were among the best in the world. Hence there are remnants of iron furnaces all around producing tools and weapons. The city was also a significant trade hub, dealing in gold, ivory, and other luxury goods with the rest of Africa.
Temples dedicated to gods like Amun (Egyptian: Jmn) and Apedemak (Egyptian: Prmk), a lion-headed god unique to Kush, are evidence of a vibrant and syncretic religious tradition. As a matter of fact, people of Meroë worshipped many ancient Egyptian gods, probably due to geographical influence. In a sense, it has been described that Meroë symbolises the ingenuity and resilience of African kingdoms, challenging the notion that ancient Africa was solely influenced by external cultures.
Musawwarāt es-Sufrā (المصورات الصفراء)
Located approximately 100 km south of Meroë pyramids stand another important historic landmark called Musawwarāt es-Sufrā (المصورات الصفراء). The site is a large Meroitic temple complex dated back 3rd century CE. The area features sandstone constructions with a lot of inference to animals.
One of the most famous, and most intact monument is the Lion Temple, dedicated to Apedemak. The temple is particular as it is extremely well preserved and that it bears hieroglyphic inscriptions and representations of elephants and lions on the walls. Reliefs of Apedemak are depicted as a three-headed god on the outside walls.
The main citadel ruins is called the Grand Enclosure (حظيرة كبيرة, Hazirat Kabira), which is a massive labyrinthine ruined complex covering more than 45,000 m².
The complex features a number of animal sculptures and reliefs, especially elephants. It has been conjectured that animals played a significant part in Musawwarāt es-Sufrā. Aside from sculptures there are two huge reservoirs, suggesting advancement in hydraulics during the time.
Eat and Drink
Cow-trotter soup (كوارع)
Sudanese cuisine features lots of stew and soups of either cow or lamb. Many of these soups and stews are made by animal fat and onions and there is not a lot of Arabic influence in the diet. The other staple is roast lamb meat. We had an excellent dinner in an institutional crowded food stall Al Mona Lisa (الموناليزا) in Khartoum (ٱلْخُرْطُوم) where these cow-trotter soup (كوارع, kaware') is served. The crowd there is massive!
Sudan (السودان, As-Sūdān) was (past tense) one of the few Muslim countries that allowed the consumption of alcohol. Although it is now banned under Sharia (شريعة) law, there are still visible traces of sales of alcohol here and there, apparently brewed by local aboriginal tribes.
Palm date (نخلة التمر)
It needs no introduction that an Arabic country like Sudan would consume palm date (نخلة التمر, nakhlat al-tamr), this is now a UNESCO ICH as blogged in Aït Ben Haddou (ⴰⵢⵜ ⴱⴻⵏⵃⴰⴷⴷⵓ).
Stay
I stayed in the Grand Holiday Villa Khartoum (جراند هوليدي فيلا الخرطوم, Jrand Hwlydi Fila Al-Khartum) and while the hotel is nothing to be proud of, it is quite refreshing go know that there is a Malaysian chain-hotel in the middle of Sudan.
Travel Suggestions and Logistics
Meroë is around 200 km north of Khartoum, the capital. One can only reach the place by a chartered car. However the road is quite horrible that it takes around three hours to reach Meroë from the capital by car. It is even more surprising to know that this trunk road is the main road that connects Khartoum with the main seaport, and really wonders how transportation or trade is managed in the country.
Entry fee to the site is 50 ج.س which is just about USD $1, but the guy guarding the gate will ask you to pay more. The camel ride is also 50 ج.س. The two other sites are effectively ruins and hence is free to enter.
Sudan is simply not a touristic country and it is not recommended for tourism due to safety and security concern at the moment. The country is currently in a civil war and the airport and most embassies are closed. Avoid travelling to the country at all cost for the moment. I am now surprised how I managed to return in one piece from Sudan.
UNESCO Inscriptions
The Archaeological Sites of the Island of Meroe, a semi-desert landscape between the Nile and Atbara rivers, was the heartland of the Kingdom of Kush, a major power from the 8th century B.C. to the 4th century A.D. The property consists of the royal city of the Kushite kings at Meroe, near the River Nile, the nearby religious site of Naqa and Musawwarat es Sufra. It was the seat of the rulers who occupied Egypt for close to a century and features, among other vestiges, pyramids, temples and domestic buildings as well as major installations connected to water management. Their vast empire extended from the Mediterranean to the heart of Africa, and the property testifies to the exchange between the art, architectures, religions and languages of both regions.
The date palm has been connected to the regional population of the submitting States for centuries, serving both as the source of numerous associated crafts, professions and social and cultural traditions, customs and practices, and as a key form of nutrition. The date palm is an evergreen plant typically associated with dry climates, where the roots of the plant penetrate deeply into the earth in search of humidity. Bearers and practitioners include date palm farm owners, farmers who plant, nurture and irrigate the date palm offshoots, craftspeople who produce traditional products using various parts of the palm tree, date traders, creative individuals and performers of associated folkloric tales and poems. The Date palm, knowledge, skills, traditions and practices have played a pivotal role in strengthening the connection between people and the land in the Arab region, helping them face the challenges of the harsh desert environment. This historic relationship in the region and the element has produced a rich cultural heritage of related practices between people in the region, knowledge and skills maintained to this day. The cultural relevance and proliferation of the element over the centuries prove how committed the local communities are to sustaining it; this is achieved through collective participation in multiple date-palm related activities and numerous festive rituals, traditions and customs.
References
Comments
Please share your thoughts and comments about the blog. If you need suggestions to build a travel itinerary, please let me know. More than willing to help. I would also like to build a bespoke-in-depth travel community around UNESCO WHS and ICH.
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