Pyramids

If you have been following this blog, or my Facebook feed, by now you know that Sudan has Pyramids,  After visiting of these several sites, and scouring the internet for information, I believe I have a better understanding of them.

From about 2650 BC to 1500 BC, the Egyptian Pharaoh's built these elaborate tombs.  The oldest is the Step Pyramid, Djoser.

The most famous are the three pyramids near Giza, biggest of which is called the Great Pyramid.

Around 1500 BC, the Pharaohs started to realize that Pyramids are giant "rob me" signs.  Instead of Pyramids, they started using underground crypts in what has become know as "The Valley of the Kings."  Of course, these were still robbed.  That is why Tutankhamen's tomb was so important - it was the first one found that had not been robbed.  

To the south of Egypt was the Kingdom of Kush, a.k.a. Nubia.  The kingdom was part of Egypt, when in 760 BC the king of Kush managed to install himself as Pharaoh, starting a period know as the 25th dynasty.  For 100 years all the Pharaohs came from this line of Nubians.  They are sometimes referred to as the black Pharaohs.

Kushite Kings, and and the Pharaohs of the 25th Dynasty, were buried in chambers similar to the valley of the Kings.  In a place called El Kurra They had tombs that were painted very similarly to the Egyptians, and like the Egyptians, they were mostly robbed.  

The fifth Pharaoh of the 25th dynasty, Taharqa, decided to bring back the tradition of Pyramids in 690 BC.  He built his at a place called Nuri.  (Interesting side note:  Taharqa is mentioned, by name in the Bible twice.)  Not long after this, the Nubians lost control of Egypt.  But the Kings of Kush still kept building pyramids in Nuri for more than 300 years,

For a short period, The kings were buried at Barkal.  This is at the foot of a mountain that the Egyptians had once seen, and decided was the birth place of their main god, Amon.

Starting around 270 BC, the seat of government for the Kingdom of Kush shifted to Meroe, and the building of pyramids shifted there too.  A particular valley was used, and at first, the pyramids were built on the south side of the valley, and then shifted to the larger north side.  Building here lasted all the way until the 4th century AD.

The closer pyramids are the southern, the farther are the northern

Travel Goals

I like to make travel goals.  Places to go, things to do.  Some of mine are obvious, some obscure.  I have now set a new goal, and I think its worth sharing.

I want to find the grave of Giuseppe Ferlini and pee on it.  Perhaps I should explain.

Recently, we visited the Nubian Pyramids at Meroe in Sudan.  I have read about these often on the internet,  Whenever you see a list of the worlds greatest, least visited attractions, they are on the list.  Its hard to get to Sudan, and they really don't have much in the way of tourist infrastructure, so visiting this site is very difficult indeed.  But already living in Khartoum gives us a leg up, so for us it was an easy over night experience.

These pyramids are indeed worth a visit.  (I already want to go back)  They were built by Nubian kings between 700 BC and 300 AD.  Compared to Egyptian pyramids, they are smaller, steeper and more numerous.  Egyptian pyramids rise at an angle of about 40-50 degree.  Nubian are around 70.

These pyramids were unknown to Europeans until Frenchman Frédéric Cailliaud discovered them in 1821 and reported they were mostly intact.  But when you look at the picture I took you can see they are not intact at all.  Most of them are missing their tops.  On the left of this picture there is a missing pyramid.  Only the base of it is there.  What happened?

In 1834 Italian "archaeologist" Giuseppe Ferlini visited the site.  I put that in quotes because he was really a treasure hunter and grave robber.  He wanted to find the valuable objects that are usually buried with kings and sell them.  He completely destroyed the pyramid at the left, and damaged many others.

He did find some treasures, but had a hard time selling them.  Most buyers in Europe thought they were fake because they did not believe such high quality artifacts could have been produced by black Africans.  Eventually, they were bought and today are in a museum in Germany, giving me yet another travel goal.

So if you ever find yourself in Bologna, Italy, go to the Certosa di Bologna, find the grave of Giuseppe Ferlini, and give him my regards.

By Khruner - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44484066

Country Count

I have been asked on occasion how many countries have I been to.  That would seem to be an easy one, right?  Maybe.

I have been to Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Guatemala, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Laos, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Morocco, Peru, Spain, Sudan, United States, and Vatican City. That’s 27.

But what about Great Britain?  Technically, it is a collection of 4 countries and I have been to 2.  So I can drop Great Britain, and add England and Scotland.  That’s now 28.

But there is still a problem.  This list does not reflect some of the more interesting places I have been.  Like Antarctica.  I have been to Easter Island, which is technically part of Chile, and the Galapagos, which belong to Ecuador, but somehow that seems inadequate.

Enter the Travel Century Club.  To join this club, you need to have visited 100 countries or territories.  They maintain their own list of places that “count.”  They count a place separately if it is physically and culturally separate from the parent country.  They count Antarctica, Easter Island and the Galapagos.  They also make some distinctions I think are a little questionable – They count Alaska (which I have been to) and Hawaii separate from the continental US.  They count Egypt in Africa separate from Egypt in Asia (the Sinai Peninsula – been there).

But who am I to judge their list?  If I take it as is, I get Alaska, Antarctica, Easter Island, Egypt in Asia, Galapagos Islands, and Reunion Island (a part of France, located in Indian Ocean).  That’s 34.

The next question to answer is what does it mean to visit a country.  I don’t have a hard and fast rule myself, but the Century club counts it even if you just passed through the airport.  I have passed through the airports in Hong Kong, Kenya, Panama, and Turkey.  I had a plane with a mechanical problem make an unscheduled stop in Colombia.  I had a friend pick me up at the airport in the Netherlands, and drive me to Belgium, and I slept in the car the whole way.  And 2 times, we passed through Thailand, where we left the airport only to stay at a hotel right next to the airport and leave the next morning.  Add those 7 and I am up to 41.

So give all this, I think the answer to how many countries I have been to is “a lot.”

Depending on how you count, this map is accurate.