The Other Pyramids.

The Other Pyramids

For centuries, the pyramids of Giza in Egypt captivated onlookers from Alexander the Great to Napoleon Bonaparte. But far from the gaze of tourists are a set of pyramids in Sudan that have been almost forgotten. Let's take a look at Nubian Pyramids.

Who Built Them?

These structures lie in the heartland of the Kingdom of Kush. They were a major power from the 8th century BCE to the 4th century CE. Meroe was a wealthy metropolis of the kingdom in what's today the Republic of Sudan. The city was on the east bank of the River Nile about 6 km north-east of the Kabushiya.

35+pyramids have been identified and grouped in five sites in Sudan.

Important Information

* Artefacts found in the pyramids testify to the exchange between the art, architectures, religions and languages of Africa and the Hellenistic world * Wall reliefs in the tomb chapels show how the occupants were mummified, covered with jewellery and laid to rest in wooden mummy cases.

The Wrath of the Nile

* In Sep 2020, rising Nile floodwaters threatened these wonders of the ancient world * Archaeologists set up sandbag walls and pumped out water to prevent damage at the ruins.

Island of Meroe

* The pyramids are located in a semi-desert landscape between the Nile and Atbara rivers * Thr region is referred as the Island of Meroe, which reflect the interchange of ideas and contact between Sub-Saharan Africa and the Mediterranean * The Kushite civilisation was largely expunged by the arrival of Christianity on the Middle Nile around 6th century CE, according to UNESCO.

UNESCO Site

The Archaeological Sites of the island of Meroe was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The three sites reflect greatness of the Kushite civilisation, often eclipsed by Egypt's.

The Site Include

* Royal city of the Kushite kings at Meroe * The religious site of Naqa * Muawwarat es Sufra in western Butana.

Different From That in Egypt  

* The Nubian pyramids are built of stepped courses of horizontally positioned stone blocks , ranging between 6 and 30 metres in height * However, they rise from fairly small foundation footprints, resulting in tall, narrow structures inclined at around 70 degrees * On the other hand, Egyptian pyramids of similar height have foundation footprints that are five times larger with inclined angles between 40 - 50 degrees.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9. Walked across to Rani Menon's Clinic and got the two copies of the certificates that cleared my vision for driving. Then, Hamid took me to the Akshaya Kendra, at the west nada, where Seetha retrieved the complete set of the 'Driving Licence Renewal' documents and handed them over to me after briefing me as to what I was supposed to do further on.

Went across to the east nada and the shop beneath the Sub RTO's office. On directions, affixed postage stamps worth Rs.40/- on a self addressed envelope and the entire set of papers, along with the old driving licence were dropped into the box at the Sub RTO's office. My new driving licence will reach me within a fortnight from now. Have narrated the entire procedure in detail to show that one doesn't have to visit the RTO office and stand in long queues thanks to the online procedure introduced to tide over the pandemic period!

Attended the webinar : "Lifestyle Changes for Green Economy" by K Jayakumar, IAS (Retd), Director, Institute of Management in Government between 1200 and 1330 hrs. It was an interesting interaction.