Sudan war halts preservation of ancient Meroe pyramids

The ancient pyramids of Meroe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Sudan, could collapse because the country's war has halted all preservation work since it began in April 2023, an archaeologist warned on August 6, 2026. Mahmoud Suleiman said the site may face a disaster without intervention.

The Meroe site, about 200km (125 miles) north of Khartoum, contains more than 200 narrow, steep-sided pyramids built between 800 BC and 350 AD as tombs for the rulers of the Kingdom of Kush.

Guards say windblown sand and encroaching vegetation are accelerating the decay. "The sand has thickened heavily on the pyramids and even inside the temples, and the grass grows thick," guard Mustafa Ahmed said, noting that stones have begun to fall.

Antiquities inspector Mohamed Mubarak explained that accumulated sand releases salt that erodes the inherently fragile stones and their ancient inscriptions.

UNESCO has warned that since the war began, more than 100 cultural sites have been damaged and at least 22 museums looted or destroyed. Suleiman said climate change, the dispersal of Sudan's archaeological workforce, and the halt of foreign missions have all contributed to the deterioration.