by Edward Whelan

May 05, 2025
from ClassicalWisdom Website

 

Pyramids at Meroe

Some works get all the glory... all the attention... all the love... while others, not so much.

The Mona Lisa at the Louvre is absolutely swamped and swarming with tourists and selfie sticks... and yet, right around the corner you can find not only one, but three more Leonardo Da Vinci paintings, with nary a visitor in site.

So too is this the case with ancient sites...

 

While fans flock to the imposing Pyramids in Giza, other absolutely amazing structures stand alone, surrounded only by sand.

It's something we can attest to, having recently visited quite a few of these ancient wonders.

 

We only managed to escape the throngs in the colossal Karnak and Luxor temples by braving heat and going out after the peak morning hours (not advised for the faint of heart)...

 

 

mmm
Ancient paint at Luxor Temple

But when we ventured further down the Nile to the lands of ancient Nubia to visit other sites, like Edfu and Kom Ombo, we only had a handful of tourists to compete with...

 

 

Beautiful lighting in Edfu
 

Kom Ombo

Of course, we are well aware that if only we had the time, energy and pluck to go just a little further south, those numbers would dwindle even further.

 

In the end, just because a place is hard to reach, doesn't mean we shouldn't learn about it or its storied ancient history.

Today, we'll explore some of the forgotten pyramids in Africa, considered ancient gems of Nubia...

Anya Leonard
Founder and Director
Classical Wisdom

When we think of pyramids, our minds immediately race to the iconic monuments of Giza or the grand stone temples of Mesoamerica.

But tucked away in the sun-bleached deserts of northern Sudan stands one of the most astonishing and overlooked chapters of ancient history:

the pyramids of Nubia.

Built by African kings and queens thousands of years ago, these elegant, steep-sided structures are a powerful testament to a thriving civilization that once rivaled the mighty pharaohs of Egypt.

The Rise of Nubia - Africa's Lost Kingdom

Located largely in present-day northern Sudan, Nubia was once a cradle of powerful kingdoms.

The Nubians were no strangers to the Egyptians; at times allies, at others subjects, and once even conquerors. The first major Nubian state, the Kingdom of Kerma, emerged as early as 2500 BC.

It was followed by the more well-known Kingdom of Kush, which at one point did the unthinkable:

it conquered Egypt itself and ruled as its 25^th Dynasty.

The Kushites were eventually driven back by the Assyrians, but they didn't vanish. Instead, they retreated south and established a new capital at Meroë, on the eastern banks of the Nile, where they built a flourishing kingdom that lasted nearly a thousand years, from around 550 BC to 500 AD.

This era was Nubia's golden age...!

Although they briefly came under Persian and Ptolemaic influence, the Nubians largely remained independent, maintaining their own rulers, traditions, and religion, one that mirrored Egypt's pantheon but was infused with distinctly African elements.

Statues of Nubian rulers

 from the late 25th Dynasty,

early Napatan period,

7th century BC

Source: Kerma Museum

Among these rulers was Taharqua, a warrior-king whose pyramid still towers at Nuri.

His inscriptions describe divine favor and military prowess:

"I was chosen by Amun in the womb, and I stretched my arms across the lands of the Nile."
Inscription from the tomb of Taharqua

Nubia was no passive neighbor to empires.

In the 1^st century AD, Queen Kandake Amanirenas famously led her warriors against the Romans, halting their southern advance and securing favorable peace terms, a rare feat in Roman foreign relations.

Later, Nubia embraced Christianity, which, along with pressures from neighboring powers like Aksum (in modern Ethiopia), transformed its culture yet again.

Building in Stone - The Nubian Pyramids

At first glance, the Nubian pyramids look familiar... but get closer, and their unique character comes into sharp focus.

Built mainly between 300 BC and 300 AD, over 200 pyramids rise from the desert sands of northern Sudan, more than double the number found in Egypt.

Their design is striking:

smaller and narrower than their Egyptian counterparts, with steep inclines of around 70 degrees, giving them a sharp, elegant silhouette.

These pyramids served as tombs for kings, queens, and elite nobles of the Kushite era.

Just like the pharaohs, Nubian royalty were buried with riches - gold, silver, and other treasures - and likely mummified to aid their journey to the afterlife.

Unfortunately, centuries of looting stripped the tombs of much of their splendor, but echoes of their grandeur remain.

What truly sets Nubian pyramids apart are the offering temples built at their base, small chapels decorated with religious symbols and artwork unique to Kushite beliefs.

Here, priests performed rituals to honor the dead, hoping the spirits of deceased monarchs would advocate for the living before the gods.

Imagine the desert wind carrying the sound of drums and chants while incense curled into the air, rituals performed beside pyramids whose stones may still sing.

Yes, some rocks near the site actually ring like bells when struck, a mystery that archaeologists believe may have had ceremonial significance.
 

Meroë, Nuri, and the Heart of Kush

 

Nuri:

Pyramids of Kushite rulers

The most famous pyramid fields lie at Meroë, the former royal capital, where over 50 pyramids cluster in an otherworldly landscape of sand and stone.

Another key site is Nuri, where one of the largest pyramids belongs to Taharqua, a Kushite king who ruled Egypt as Pharaoh in the 7^th century BC.

Together, these burial grounds offer a glimpse into a civilization that combined artistic mastery, religious devotion, and architectural prowess.

Each pyramid tells a story not just of individual rulers, but of an African people who shaped and preserved their identity across centuries of external influence and internal transformation.

The End of an Era

The Nubian pyramids stopped being built after the 3^rd century AD, a change linked to both the decline of royal power in Meroë and the spread of Christianity.

As new beliefs took root, old funerary practices fell away.

 

Eventually, the pyramids were abandoned, buried slowly by centuries of drifting sand.

When European explorers rediscovered them in the 19^th century, they were stunned.

These "lost pyramids" upended assumptions about Africa's past and opened a new chapter in archaeology.

Today, teams of researchers and local historians are still working to unearth what remains, piecing together the legacy of Nubia from fragments of stone and shattered tombs.

Illustration of the pyramids at Meroe,

Credit: Charlie Swerdlow

Source: Behance

A Legacy Worth Protecting

Despite their historical importance, Nubia's pyramids remain in relative obscurity.

They are not just monuments of a forgotten civilization,

they are symbols of African ingenuity, resilience, and sovereignty.

More tourists are venturing to Sudan to see them, drawn by their beauty and the mystery that still clings to their jagged stones.

But time is not on their side.

These ancient structures face threats from erosion, neglect, and even flooding caused by modern infrastructure projects.

The Nubian pyramids deserve more than a footnote in world history.

They stand as silent sentinels of a civilization that once challenged empires and left its mark in stone.

They remind us that Africa's story is richer, deeper, and far more complex than we often assume - and that history still has secrets waiting to be uncovered beneath the desert sand.