Island of Meroe and Bagarawiya. B.C. 400 to A.D. 250.On crossing the Atbara the “Island of Meroe” is entered, and at Bagarawiya, some 45 miles south of the Atbara, three important groups of pyramids, about 100 in all, are reached. These, also called the pyramids of Assur, lie about 3 miles from the river, and are the tombs of kings and princes of the old capital, which lay somewhere near Shendi. An important find of jewellery of the Roman period was made here by Signor Ferlini, an Italian doctor, in 1834. (B.N. 509-513; L.; Cailliaud; Ferlini; W.) Since then the tops of many pyramids have been damaged in similar searches.
About 29 miles south of Shendi, on the east bank, is the entrance to the Wadi Ban Nagaa, and near it is a village of that name. Three miles down the river are the ruins of a small ancient Nubian temple.
Nagaa.Twenty-three miles south-east from the railway station of Wadi Ban Nagaa, and situated in a low waterless desert, are the extensive remains of an ancient town. The walls of six temples are still standing, at least in part, and the foundations of several others can be traced. Two of them are connected together by an avenue of rams. One of the temples is almost purely Roman in style, and belongs, perhaps, to the third century A.D.; others are transitional; these are in comparatively excellent preservation. (Description by Rev. L. Gwynne; B.N. 514, 515; Cailliaud [elaborate]; and W.). They were also visited by Wurt (1811), Demetrio (1822), Holroyd (1837), and Lepsius.
El Sufra.Twelve miles north-east of Nagaa are the ruins of El Sufra, also called El Masurat, a group of buildings within walls, of the Roman period, with a Meroitic inscription (C.; L.; and Hoskins, and B.N. pp. 515-516). One and a-half miles off are some Christian temples (?) (B.N. p. 515). A road track leads south-east from Shendi viâ Nagaa temples to Soba, and there are, it is reported, old temples on the way.
Khartoum.There are no visible ruins of ancient temples at Khartoum, though it is known that it was the site of a large town (vide [p. 228]). A colossal Christian (?) stone lamb has been brought here from Soba (W.).
Soba.At Soba, believed to be the old capital of the Christian Kingdom of Alwa, built on the old Ethiopic site of “Sobas,” 13 miles from Khartoum and on the east bank of the Blue Nile, are some remains of granite pillars and of a Christian church, including a decorated base with a large cross carved on it (W.). Little is known about this. There is said to have been a bridge here over the Blue Nile.
Miscellaneous.
J. Geili.At Jebel Geili, 92 miles east from Khartoum, there is a carving in Meroitic style on a huge granite block at the south-eastern end of the hill, and on a neighbouring rock higher up the hill are the carved outlines of three horses (dates unknown).
Koliteb.At Koliteb, 113 miles from Tokar, on one of the Kassala roads, there are ancient and rude carvings of men and camels on the rocks (Junker).
Mamân.At Jebel Mamân, 201 miles from Suakin, on the “Ermenab” route to Kassala, there are some curious old Christian stone ruins and tombs (Schweinfurth; Z.A.E., 1865, p. 398).