The rock pinnacle
At the cliff's edge.
Laurent de Walick — CC BY 2.0 · Laurent de Walick — CC BY 2.0 · Hans Birger Nilsen — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Hans Birger Nilsen — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Hans Birger Nilsen — CC BY-SA 2.0
Jebel Barkal is a flat-topped mountain 104 m tall, next to Karima near the Nile in Northern State, about 400 km north of Khartoum. UNESCO listed it with the archaeological site at its base as a World Heritage Site in 2003. It held religious importance for both the Kushites and the ancient Egyptians, and it rises suddenly in golden stone above the flat plain. The earliest occupation here belongs to the Kerma culture. About 1450 BC the pharaoh Thutmose III conquered the area, and the mountain became an important southern limit for Egypt. At its base later rose Napata, the first capital of the Nubian Kingdom of Kush, whose kings came to rule Egypt itself. Many temples surround it, the largest being the Temple of Amun. At the edge of the cliff you see a natural rock pinnacle, which the ancients took as a royal symbol. At the base are the remains of the Temple of Amun and its rows of columns, on the other side a group of steep royal pyramids, and on site a small museum. From the top, if you climb by the path at the back, the Nile and palms come into view, above all before sunset. It is about 2 km in a straight line from Karima and about 10 km from the Nuri pyramids. Winter has been the best season, as summer heat is harsh, so bring plenty of water. 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.
At the cliff's edge.
Steep and slender.
Columns at the base.
Near Karima, Northern State, Sudan
Climbing was possible by a path at the back, 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.