The painted chambers
Colours still bright.
Hans Birger Nilsen — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Mark Fischer — CC BY-SA 2.0 · anmede — CC BY-SA 2.0
The El-Kurru Royal Tombs are the first of three royal cemeteries of the Kushite kings of Napata, also known as the 25th Dynasty of Egypt. They lie between the Third and Fourth Cataracts, about 1.6 km west of the Nile, within the Gebel Barkal site on the UNESCO list. The site is known for burial chambers painted in colours still bright, despite its plain look from outside. George Reisner first excavated here in 1918 and 1919, and after his death his assistant Dows Dunham published the report in 1950. The cemetery was mainly used from about 860 to 650 BC. The first named tomb is that of King Piye, about 750 BC, and the last dynasty king buried here was Tantamani, about 650 BC. From outside you see a worn pyramid and the remains of brick walls on open desert ground. The finest part lies underground, as you go down a stairway to burial chambers with painted ceilings, if the guard opens them. Do not touch the walls, as the colours are fragile, and do not use flash. Close by, royal horses were also buried in a cemetery of their own. It is about 16 km in a straight line from Jebel Barkal and about 17 km from Karima, and it is usually combined with them in a day. Bring water and a hat, as the ground is exposed. The UK Foreign Office currently advises against all travel to Sudan, and access may not be possible, so check official guidance before making any plans.
Colours still bright.
On open ground.
The first named tomb.
West bank of the Nile, Northern State, Sudan
The guard used to open them, but we could not confirm the present situation.
Do not count on it, and check official guidance first, as the UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to Sudan.