Gebel Barkal is a small mountain in the northern state of Sudan situated on a large bend of the Nile River. The Pyramids of Gebel Barkal, also known as the Pyramids of Kush, include over 200 pyramids found south of the Egyptian border. Though smaller than those found in Egypt, these pyramids have been considered to be part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2003.

The pyramids are not alone in this place as there are ruins of about 13 temples and three palaces that surround the area. It was only discovered around the 1800’s and is believed to have been an extension of the empires of Egypt to the south. It is believed that it was the Egyptian Pharaoh Thutmose III that extended this empire.

Since the place was a little too far from Egypt, no one thought anything of great interest would be found in that area. But when word came out that there are places of interest that far south, explorers came to see for themselves. It is said that this place was a perfect specimen of the southern influences on Egyptian culture.

Archaeological excavations only started during the early 1900’s and discovery of its importance in history came little by little after that is why it was only considered recently into the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

As one would see, the pyramids are significantly smaller than those in Egypt. It can be surmised that this is due to the small population of the area having only very few workers at the time to build a pyramid. Also, it might be due to the cultural influences that were present in the area.

When one thinks of pyramids, one thinks of Egypt. But Egypt’s influence does not only stop at its borders. A few of its neighbors have been influenced by their culture. One such place is a city named Meroe in the country of Sudan.

Meroe is a city on the east side of the Nile River and was the capital kingdom of Kush for sometime a few centuries ago. The city can be easily recognized due to the presence of more than 200 pyramids that are divided into three groups.

The pyramids found in the city are also called Nubian Pyramids. Nubian pyramids are pyramidal structures that were built on a region called Nubia, an area on the Nile valley, in the present day country of Sudan. This place was ruled by Egypt for some time and greatly influenced the culture of the people who lived there especially in the art of pyramid building. Nubian pyramids are significantly smaller in size than those that can be found in Egypt. They stand at a range of six to thirty feet in height and a base that didn’t exceed much beyond eight feet making the pyramid look tall and the surface walls slant to about seventy degrees.

Many of the pyramids in the city of Meroe are in ruins. Mainly due to the harshness of the climate and lack of ability to maintain the structures throughout the centuries, there are only very few pyramids that are still intact and well preserved. There have been indications that the pyramids were ransacked and plundered of any valuable jewelry that any royal family members entombed in there might have had.

If one enjoys seeing the majesty of the architecture and culture of ancient civilizations, especially those of Egyptians and their influences in neighbouring areas, then the Pyramids of Meroe is a place to see.