Meroe Travel Guide

 
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Pro

uglyscot profile photo

 ancient site 


Con

maykal profile photo

 No comparison to Pyramids of Giza....but who wants decorated camels anyway? 


In a nutshell

flynboxes profile photo

 Could be a place for a spiritual moment? 

 

Explore Meroe

Things to Do  

Hey tourist......

Hey tourist......, Meroe

 flynboxes Says:  In an attempt to draw tourist the Gov't build some pyramids at the site out of cement to show folks what the pyramids looked like when they were first built...except these are smaller versions of the real thing.Hint to tourism officals in Meroe..talk to your buddies in... 

Hey, where did the roof go????

Hey, where did the roof go????, Meroe

 flynboxes Says:  For every place of beauty on earth there has to be some retard around to mess it up. In this case the retards were early Indiana Jones's looking for treasure. They took the roofs off several pyraminds and did not find much..go figure - should have done their homework first... 

Peekaboo I see.....

Peekaboo I see....., Meroe

 flynboxes Says:  Nothing? Yep, you can do the same thing here as you can in Giza except you don't have to walk a 100 yards or so hunched over to see it nor do you have to pay and you can take your camera inside..... 

carvings from the funeral chapels

carvings from the funeral chapels, Meroe

 uglyscot Says:  There are still quite a few of the original carvings to be seen in the funerary chapels and on the pylon walls, although sand is filling some of the chapels.Although much of the symbolism is taken from the Ancient Egyptian religion, there is a strong Meroitic influence,... 

The northern cemetery

The northern cemetery, Meroe

 uglyscot Says:  The Northern Cemetery is the most interesting of all the sites at Begrawiya. Of the 57 known pyramids , only half can be seen. The oldest are built at the highest level of the outcrop and then later ones were built further and further down, and out of red brick rather than... 

the western cemetery

the western cemetery, Meroe

 uglyscot Says:  The Western Cemetery like the southern cemetery dates to the Ancestral era of the Meroitic. The western pyramids are fewer and less interesting to look at than the others. They are on flat ground and surrounded by a metal fence. Some reconstruction has taken place, but... 

Southern Cemetery part II

Southern Cemetery part II, Meroe

 uglyscot Says:  The pyramids would all have been covered with white plaster which is resistant to the weather. They would have been painted red with blue decorations, and on top there would have been a pyramidon brightly painted yellow. The funerary chapels face east, but the decoration... 

Restaurants  

No food outlets here: Bring your own
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3 out of 5 starsHelpfulness

grets 3429 reviews

The historical site of Meroe is so uncommericalised that there is no food outlets here. If you do wish to eat something during your visit, you need to bring your own.

Written Nov 24, 2004

Related to:
 Archeology
 Historical Travel
 Desert

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Transportation  

Destination desert...
maykal profile photo

3.5 out of 5 starsHelpfulness

maykal 1340 reviews
Sand Dune, Bajrawiya

From Khartoum, take a bus heading to Atbara, and ask to be let off at Bajrawiya or Al-Ahram. If they don't stop the bus, then you should be able to spot them through the windows...I mean, thirty black pyramids and orange sand dunes do tend to bbe hard to miss, especially with the dull scenery for the rest of the trip...when you see them, start clicking! The fare to Atbara on a hafla (cheapish bus) is 10,000 pounds. Bajrawiya is about halfway between Khartoum and Atbara, but they may insist on making you pay full fare...argue! Leaving the pyramids, basically you have no option but to hitch...most vehicles will stop, especially if they see a khawaja...we caught a lift on a police water truck to Shendi, from where we took a bus back to Khartoum.

Written Sep 3, 2003

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Shopping  

stalls: souvenirs

stalls: souvenirs, Meroe

 uglyscot Says:  Inside and outside the entrance to the pyramids are stalls or displays of things for sale. They vary from handicrafts to coins, jewellery ,stones and other 'old 'things.The nice thng is the salesmen who try to encourage you to look at their goods, but do not haggle or annoy... 

Meroe Pyramids: Local craft

Meroe Pyramids: Local craft, Meroe

 BorneoGrrl Says:  You won't get any souvenir shops at Meroe Pyramids but if you would like to take home something, you can buy from some locals at the entrance. You can bargain if you like but the prices are already quite good. Choose from musical instruments made of turtle shell & goat skin... 

Warnings and Dangers  

toilet facilities

toilet facilities, Meroe

 uglyscot Says:  Few sites will have toilet facilities, but the site at Bejrawiya does. The toilet is just a hole in the ground, but it is kept clean. However there are no facilities for washing your hands, nor toilet tissue provided. Therefore, it is advisable to take either a toilet roll... 

damage to monuments

damage to monuments, Meroe

 uglyscot Says:  The monuments at Begrawiya are quite fragile, although over two thousand years old. Early explorers deliberately damaged the tops of the pyramids in search of treasure. Adventurers and visitors have carved their names into the blocks, sometimes even defacing ancient... 

Tourist Traps  

Camel ride

Camel ride, Meroe

 flynboxes Says:  Taking a camel ride in Meroe. The camel owners will offer you a cheap price up front to get your business and beat out the the competition (the other 3-4 camel touts). Go out there with what you want to spend and nothing more since that cheap price you negotiated at the... 

No video permit, No need to buy ticket in advance

No video permit, No need to buy ticket in advance, Meroe

 luvbig Says:  According to Below line I worried to pay Viedo permit fee.But when I got to there Meroe nobody asked me to pat the fee.I think she had been cheated by guides.No more you don't need to go to Sudan national museum to buy travel permits including Meroe.You can pay it in front... 

What to Pack  

Desert Wear is what you need
BorneoGrrl profile photo

3.5 out of 5 starsHelpfulness

BorneoGrrl 731 reviews

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: Be mindful that this is the desert so dress for it. Always protect yourself from the sun, heat & sand by wearing a hat, comfortable cotton clothes and comfortable walking shoes, preferably trainers because hot sand might dry & burn your feet if you wear sandals

Miscellaneous: Bring bottled water and a small snack, in case of dehydration

Written Apr 26, 2006

Related to:
 Road Trip

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Off The Beaten Path  

Temple to the Sun and others

Temple to the Sun and others, Meroe

 grets Says:  Scattered around a large area surrounding the city of Meroe, are other, badly ruined temples, most of which you are not permitted to enter. Our driver took us on a sightseeing tour by car - driving around the outside of these temples and stopping for us to take photographs. 

The temple to Amun

The temple to Amun, Meroe

 grets Says:  Amun is known as the god of air and wind, who also later became god of fertility and the Creator of all things. He was said to be able to assume any form he wished, including any of the other gods. He bacame the national deity. 

Favorites  

Slip, slop, slap????

Slip, slop, slap????, Meroe

 flynboxes Says:  Slip on a shirt, slop on some sunscreen, slap on a hat??? Isn't that what you Aussies are taught growin up? Same applies here except bring some water with you if you plan to hike around a bit. from 11-3pm it is like an over here most of the time and it is a dry heat so even... 

Other tourists

Other tourists, Meroe

 grets Says:  There are not many places of interest left in this world, where you can wander freely and have the attraction all to yourself! Meroe is one of them. Taking our time, walking around the site, peeking inside the pyramids, walking behind them, making my own footprints on the... 

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Map of Meroe