Naqa and Musawwarat

These two Meroitic archaeological treasures are a little more difficult to get than most of Sudan's other tourist attractions, needing private transportation. They are located 26 kilometers (Naqa) or 30 kilometers (Musawwarat) east of the Khartoum-Atbara route on a sand and dirt road, sharing the same road for the first 15 kilometers after leaving the highway.

It's generally advisable to travel with an experienced guide/driver who is familiar with the dim and sandy desert paths. If you can make it there, the temples at these locations are among Sudan's most beautiful.

The temples of Amun and Apedemak (the latter showing the queen as equal in size and strength to the king), as well as the modest but impressively complex Roman Kiosk, may all be seen in Naqa. You can traverse the huge labyrinthine Great Enclosure and visit the well-preserved Lion Temple at Musawwarat Es-Sufra, which dates from the 3rd century BC. The old reservoir is usually empty these days, but standing there, one can almost imagine how the now-deserted desert would have looked and felt when life centered around this ancient temple complex was thriving.

Location: River Nile (state), Sudan
Entrance fee: 300 SDG
Best time to visit: N/A
Hours: N/A