Pyramids of Gebel Barkal

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.