Ancient Egypt’s spread into Nubia is often forgotten and little visited. The continuum of history down the Nile is worth seeking out to fully grasp the extensive history of the region.
On the third cataract of the Nile the remnants of the clash of powerful cultures are scattered amongst the everyday life of Sudan’s modern citizens. The Nubian Empire of Kush and the Ancient Egyptians had a complicated relationship of trade and war, although history favours the Egyptians they did not always come out on top.
With little tourist infrastructure visiting ancient wonders here is a completely different experience to that in Egypt. One of the best known archaeological sites is a 20 minute drive from Abri, yet you will not find a single tour bus on its way to Soleb Temple. To get here ask somebody to drive you (600SDP round trip – this was a relatively extortionate price and you should be able to find cheaper).
Like everywhere in Sudan, we turned off the tarmacked road and a dusty track led us to the lush plantations fringing the Nile. We wandered through farmland of neatly irrigated ful-bean fields and date palm groves. With harvest in sight the pregnant palms heavily laden with sticky dates attracted thousands of flies that swarmed around us. At the river we negotiated a ride over to the other side (200SDP, a price we were not happy with but found it was difficult to overcome the monopoly one individual held in Abri).
The chug of the engine mirrored the sound of pumps on the banks which funnel water into the furrows of the farmland. A ubiquitous sound to Nile side living and the only industrial noise in an otherwise undeveloped rural tranquillity.
Soleb Temple emerges from the farmland, its pillars stand strong after thousands of years but the rest of the temple lies in scattered remains around it. These massive blocks sit majestically on the earth side by side with the local people pulling onions from their land. With the greenery of the Nile on one side, this scene abuts the lunar expanse of desert on the other.
Soleb Temple illustrates the ancient battle for the region. It was built during an era of expansion by the Egyptian Pharaoh Amenhotep III in 14th Century BCE in honour of the god Amun Ra. A marker of Egyptian dominance in Nubian land, hieroglyphics depicting Nubian people in chains are still visible.
There may be no information about the site here however the experience of exploring the ruins with no other tourists around makes you feel like you are the first to discover it and an archaeologist of old.
As the sun set over this once holy place we were struck by how many generations would have appreciated this scene, albeit in different states of repair. The villagers continued pulling onions as we contemplated this wonder, their bent-backs facing away from a history that is a part of their everyday.
