Urgent Protection of the World Heritage Site of Meroe in the face of flooding and other threats

The archaeological site of Meroe is testimony to the magnificence of the Nubian civilization. Comprised of pyramidal necropolises and the remains of temples and buildings, it was constructed between the 6th century BCE and the 4th century CE and was the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Kush. Meroe was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2011, but it is now endangered by flooding. The project consisted of constructing a dyke using local materials to protect the ancient royal city from recurrent flooding by the Nile, a solution that was successfully implemented at the site of El-Kurru, another archaeological site in Sudan. This UNESCO-coordinated project is part of a collaboration with the National Corporation of Antiquities and Museums (NCAM), the German Archaeological Institute (DAI), and the French Section of the Sudan Antiquities Authority (SFDAS).