El-Kurru

El-Kurru is the oldest of the Kushite royal cemeteries, used by the ancestors of the dynasty that conquered Egypt and by several of its kings, and its best survival is a tomb cut into the rock below a ruined pyramid, its chambers painted with stars on the ceiling and figures on the walls, entered down a stair. A second decorated tomb is nearby. Excavation has continued at the site in recent years and a petrified forest lies close by.

What you actually see

• The painted tomb - the decorated rock-cut chambers with their starred ceiling.
• The pyramid remains - the ruined superstructures above the burial shafts.
• The dynastic significance - the cemetery of the family that took the Egyptian throne.
• The petrified forest - the fossil wood scattered near the site.

When to go

November to February is the cool season. March to May is extremely hot. The tomb interior is cooler than the surface.

Honest expectations

Access to the painted tomb depends on the guardian being present with keys. Photography inside is restricted to protect the paint. Travel in Sudan requires arrangements made well in advance.

Nearby

Karima and Gebel Barkal are upstream, and Old Dongola is northwest.