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War and accumulating sand threaten Sudan’s Meroe pyramids, in photos
Archaeologists say halted preservation work and heavy sand are accelerating damage at the UNESCO site, where stones are falling and collapses are possible.
- In Bejrawiya, Sudan, the ongoing war has halted preservation efforts at the Meroe pyramids, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its unique angular architecture, leaving the ancient structures increasingly vulnerable to deterioration.
- Climate change, the dispersal of the workforce, and security instability have significantly degraded the site, archaeologist Mahmoud Suleiman noted, as foreign missions struggle to continue preservation work amid the conflict.
- Accumulated sand has thickened on the pyramids and inside temples, releasing salt that degrades the "inherently fragile" stones, antiquities inspector Mohamed Mubarak said, as ancient inscriptions face erosion.
- UNESCO warned that over 100 cultural sites across Sudan have suffered damage, with at least 22 museums looted or destroyed since the conflict erupted in April 2023, threatening the nation's heritage.
- Suleiman warned the site may face a disaster with possible collapses, as the over 200 pyramids built between 800 B.C. and 350 A.D. as royal tombs for the Kingdom of Kush face potential destruction.
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They somehow survived the first 2,500 years, but climate change and war threaten them with disaster.
·Hungary
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War and accumulating sand threaten Sudan’s Meroe pyramids, in photos
·New York, United States
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War, sand threaten Sudan’s Meroe pyramids
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 kilometres north of the capital Khartoum, comprises over 200 pyramids built between 800 B.C. and 350 A.D. as royal tombs fo…
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Total News Sources28
Leaning Left10Leaning Right1Center11Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Center
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources are Center
50% Center
L 45%
C 50%
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