War and sand destroy Sudan's Meroe pyramids as preservation halts entirely

Full text

Sudan’s ongoing war is threatening the integrity of its ancient Meroe pyramids, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its unique and angular architecture, as preservation efforts have completely halted.

“The site may face a disaster and collapses are possible,” warned archaeologist Mahmoud Suleiman.

Meroe, located some 200 kilometers (125 miles) north of the capital Khartoum, comprises over 200 pyramids built between 800 B.C. and 350 A.D. as royal tombs for the rulers of the Kingdom of Kush.

“The sand has thickened heavily on the pyramids and even inside the temples, and the grass grows thick,” Mustafa Ahmed, one of the guards at Meroe, told The Associated Press as he made his way through sand dunes on site. “The pyramids have deteriorated greatly and stones have begun to fall.”

Mohamed Mubarak, an antiquities inspector, said salt, released from accumulated sand, has collected inside the funerary temples and is degrading the "inherently fragile” stones, risking the erosion of...