An amazing helicopter adventure through Northern Sudan, visiting all the most important archaeological sites of the country. You will have the opportunity to discover these unique places from a new point of the view!
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In the afternoon we start visiting Khartoum with its confluence between the Blue and the White Nile. At sunset time we move near the tomb of the sufi leader Ahmed al Nil to attend the involving Dervishes Ceremony (only on Fridays).
Early flight with the helicopter to Dongola and then Soleb. After the visit we reach the third cataract. In Sebu, right on the river bank of the Nile it is possible to visit one of the richest sites of rock engraving of all Sudan with hundreds of images from prehistoric to Egyptian times. Near the village of Tombos, there are the granite quarries and the remains of a statue of the King Taharqa, simply left there in the desert 3000 years ago. Along the Nile river there are steles and hieroglyphs. We continue until Kerma to visit the majestic “Defuffa” and the Museum before flying to Karima, located at the feet of Jebel Barkal.
After breakfast, we will visit the landmark of the Nubian Desert: Jebel Barkal (“Jebel” means mountain in Arabic). At the foot of this wonderful and isolated red sandstone mountain, considered holy since the ancient times, there is a big temple, dedicated to the Pharaohs of the New Reign and to their patron, Amon. Amon’s ancient “Pure Mountain”, the Olympus of the Nubians, was the religious Nubian heart for more than 1000 years. Besides the ruins of the big temple there are still several sculptured granite rams that were supposed to border a long avenue that probably led to the pier on the Nile. In the mountain wall there is a big room decorated with bas-relief. Jebel Barkal archaeological site is on the World Heritage list.
We then reach the site of El Kurru where there is one of the necropolises of the ancient capital Napata. Here we can see one tomb excavated in the rock under the pyramid, partially collapsed. It is totally decorated with amazing images of the Pharaoh, of the gods and multicolor hieroglyphic inscriptions. Not far from here there is an interesting site of petrified wood, an ancient forest with hundreds of huge trunks.
In the late afternoon we will visit the Nuri Necropolis and then we return to Karima.
Fly across the Bayuda Desert. This desert is an area bounded by the loop that the Nile forms between the 4th and the 6th Cataract and characterised by sharp black basalt mountains, most of them volcanic and typically cone-shaped. They alternate with level pebble stretches and large valleys crossed by dry wadis, where little vegetation can be seen. It is very likely to meet isolated groups of Bisharin nomads, who live in familiar groups in small huts made of intertwined branches close to the rare water wells, with their caravans and herds of camels and donkeys. Stop at the crater of Al Atrun in the heart of the Bayuda Desert where nomads gather salt from the edge of green pools.We will then reach a well where nomads gather water for their herds of camels and goats. We arrive at Meroe by lunch and spend the afternoon at the Royal City, ending the day at the iconic pyramids in the desert.
After breakfast we fly southward. The site of Mussawarat is located in a beautiful valley crowned by hills. Here the ruins of a very big temple are visible; it once played an exceptional important role. Its main characteristic, the “Great Enclosure” is made by many constructions and boundary walls which surround a temple built in the 1st century A.D. We then go to Naga which is one of the two centres that developed during the Meroitic period. In Naga, in a typical Saharan environment with rocks and sand, we find a temple dedicated to Apedemak (1st century A.D.): a wonderful building with bas-relief decorations depicting the god with a lion’s head, the Pharaoh, noblemen and several ritual images. Not far away we reach another temple dedicated to Amon with many statues of rams and beautiful gates decorated with bas-reliefs. We fly to Khartoum.
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