Meroe Necropolis

This is the 4th royal necropolis of Nubia. (See other posts.) Chronologically, it was the 3rd one constructed (3rd to 1st century BCE). Here many of the pyramids are in ok condition except they have had their tops blown off by old time, pre-professional archaeologists (ok, grave robbers). A cache of royal jewelry was found in the top of one. So they dynamited the tops of the rest. Hence all the flat tops.
The 1st picture is sunset over the pyramids, and the 2nd is a daylight picture of the site.
As a recap, these tombs were built with a subterranean tomb chamber with the pyramid above. Also, each had a mortuary chapel on the east facing side to greet the sunrise. Only at this necropolis are the mortuary chapels present, mostly as reconstructions using the original stones and/or restorations making it clear what they looked like while at the same time preserving what they were able to find.
The 2nd picture shows several of the mortuary temples across the site, while the 3rd looks more closely at one of the front of reconstruction/restorations.
Several of the mortuary temples can be visited. The 3 remaining pictures show some of the carvings in those temples. Czytaj więcej