Meroe’s ancient pyramids are under severe threat. War-related insecurity and heavy sand accumulation have halted conservation at the UNESCO World Heritage site, leaving more than 200 Kushite pyramids exposed to damage. Experts warn that salt crystallization, falling stones and vegetation growth are accelerating erosion and could lead to collapses. UNESCO reports widespread damage and looting of cultural sites across Sudan since April 2023.
War and Encroaching Sand Threaten Sudan’s Ancient Meroe Pyramids — Experts Warn of Possible Collapses
The Meroe pyramids stand at the Meroe archaeological site in Bejrawiya, Sudan, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohnd Blal)(AP Photo/Mohnd Blal)
Bejrawiya, Sudan — Ongoing fighting in Sudan and accelerating sand encroachment are imperiling the structural integrity of the Meroe pyramids, a UNESCO World Heritage Site famed for its distinctive angular architecture. Conservation work at the site has been suspended, leaving the fragile ruins exposed to natural and human-driven threats.
Meroe sits roughly 200 kilometers (125 miles) north of Khartoum and contains more than 200 pyramids built between about 800 B.C. and 350 A.D. as royal tombs for rulers of the Kingdom of Kush. The pyramids’ steep, angular profiles set them apart from their Egyptian counterparts and make them an important cultural and archaeological treasure.
Immediate Threats
Site guards and experts report heavy sand accumulation across the complex, with dunes covering pyramid bases and seeping into temple interiors. "The sand has thickened heavily on the pyramids and even inside the temples, and the grass grows thick," said Mustafa Ahmed, a guard at Meroe, adding: "The pyramids have deteriorated greatly and stones have begun to fall."
"The site may face a disaster and collapses are possible," said archaeologist Mahmoud Suleiman.
Antiquities inspector Mohamed Mubarak warned that salts carried by the wind and released from accumulated sand are crystallizing inside funerary temples. Salt crystallization can flake and weaken the already fragile stone, accelerating erosion and obliterating delicate inscriptions.
Broader Causes and Consequences
Suleiman and other specialists cite a mix of factors driving deterioration: climate change that alters erosion and vegetation patterns; the dispersal and withdrawal of local conservation teams because of the conflict; and the reduced access for foreign archaeological missions and technical specialists due to insecurity. Since the outbreak of fighting in April 2023, numerous historic sites and museums across Sudan have been damaged or looted.
UNESCO reported in April that more than 100 cultural sites had been damaged and at least 22 museums looted or destroyed since the conflict began. With conservation halted at Meroe, archaeologists warn that losses could become permanent unless emergency protection measures and a return of expertise are possible.
What Experts Say Needs To Happen
Conservation specialists urge rapid assessment, removal of destabilizing sand in controlled ways, stabilization of vulnerable masonry, and documentation of inscriptions and reliefs while access is safe. International organizations and local authorities face the challenge of balancing immediate humanitarian and security priorities with the urgent need to protect irreplaceable heritage.
Until conditions stabilize, the Meroe pyramids — an emblem of Sudan’s ancient Kushite civilization — remain at high risk of accelerated decay and potential collapse.
A family visits the Meroe pyramids at the Meroe archaeological site in Bejrawiya, Sudan, Friday, July 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohnd Blal)(AP Photo/Mohnd Blal)
A pyramid's stone blocks stand at the Meroe archaeological site in Bejrawiya, Sudan, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohnd Blal)(AP Photo/Mohnd Blal)
A pyramid stands at the Meroe archaeological site in Bejrawiya, Sudan, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohnd Blal)(AP Photo/Mohnd Blal)
The burial chamber is inside a pyramid at the Meroe archaeological site in Bejrawiya, Sudan, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohnd Blal)(AP Photo/Mohnd Blal)
A man sits beside a pyramid at the Meroe archaeological site in Bejrawiya, Sudan, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohnd Blal)(AP Photo/Mohnd Blal)
A visitor runs their hand along the stone blocks of a pyramid at the Meroe archaeological site in Bejrawiya, Sudan, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohnd Blal)(AP Photo/Mohnd Blal)
A guide, left, speaks with a visitor at the Meroe archaeological site in Bejrawiya, Sudan, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohnd Blal)(AP Photo/Mohnd Blal)
A tree stands in front of a pyramid at the Meroe archaeological site in Bejrawiya, Sudan, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohnd Blal)(AP Photo/Mohnd Blal)
Ancient carved reliefs decorate the interior wall of a pyramid chapel at the Meroe archaeological site in Bejrawiya, Sudan, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohnd Blal)(AP Photo/Mohnd Blal)
A visitor walks among the Meroe pyramids at the Meroe archaeological site in Bejrawiya, Sudan, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohnd Blal)(AP Photo/Mohnd Blal)
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