The Great Enclosure
A tangle of passages and columns.
Vaido Otsar — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Christopher Michel — CC BY 2.0 · Ron Van Oers — CC BY-SA 3.0 igo · Hans Birger Nilsen — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Hans Birger Nilsen — CC BY-SA 2.0
Musawwarat es-Sufra is a large Meroitic temple complex in Sudan, dating to the early Meroitic period of the 3rd century BC. It lies in a broad basin ringed by low sandstone hills in the western Butana. It is one of the Island of Meroe sites on the UNESCO list since 2011. Elephants appear here again and again, which makes it a lovely puzzle for researchers. Built of sandstone, its main features are the Great Enclosure, the Lion Temple of Apedemak and the Great Reservoir. The many images of elephants point to the importance of the animal here, and some scholars suggest a link to training or using them, but the purpose of the Great Enclosure is still debated, and no single explanation has won out. The Great Enclosure holds a tangle of passages, courts and columns, and a wall ending in a carved elephant, so take your time walking through. A little way off stands the restored Lion Temple, with carved walls and a tall gateway, and before it a broad reservoir dug into the ground. Reports say the site has suffered damage in recent years, so its state today may differ. It is about 180 km north-east of Khartoum and about 17 km in a straight line from the Naqa Temples, and the two were usually combined on one trip. The road needs a four-wheel drive. 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.
A tangle of passages and columns.
Stone carved as an elephant.
A tall gate, carved walls.
Western Butana, River Nile State, Sudan
There is no agreed explanation, and some scholars suggest a link to training or using them.
Do not count on it, and check official guidance first, as the UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to Sudan.