Meroe was the capital of the Kingdom of Kush from about 590 BC to roughly 350 AD, its ruins on the east bank of the Nile in Sudan, about 200 kilometers northeast of Khartoum near the modern villages collectively called Bagrawiyah. King Aspelta moved the Kushite capital south to Meroe from Napata, likely drawn by access to iron ore and hardwood for ironworking as well as proximity to Red Sea trade routes, and the city became a center of one of Africa's earliest advanced iron-working civilizations. Beyond the pyramid fields for which the site is best known, Meroe's remains include the royal city itself, with palaces and temples reflecting a distinctively Nubian architectural idiom. UNESCO inscribed the Archaeological Sites of the Island of Meroe as a World Heritage Site in 2011.
Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.