Eastern Deffufa, Ancient brick structure at Kerma, Sudan.
The Eastern Deffufa is a large mud-brick structure within a cemetery complex containing over 30,000 graves at the archaeological site of Kerma. This building stands as the most prominent construction within the ancient royal burial ground.
This structure was built between 2500 and 1500 BCE during the Kingdom of Kerma and served as a royal burial place. Egyptian conquest around 1450 BCE ended its function as a necropolis.
The site reveals how cattle held deep meaning in ancient Nubian life and death rituals. Excavations uncovered thousands of cattle skulls buried alongside tombs, showing this practice was central to how people honored their dead.
The site is open and accessible without entrance fees or restrictions on when you can visit. The nearby Kerma Museum offers a place to see objects discovered during excavations, including stone sculptures.
This building is one of only three remaining deffufa structures anywhere in the world. All three of these rare monuments stand at what was once the Nubian Kingdom of Kerma.
Location: Northern State
GPS coordinates: 19.61010,30.44730
Latest update: December 6, 2025 19:06
Sudan offers photographers a substantial mix of ancient monuments, desert formations and river landscapes. The country contains more than 200 pyramids at Meroe, Nuri and El-Kurru that differ markedly from their Egyptian counterparts. These Nubian structures rise from the desert with few visitors present, allowing unobstructed shooting. The National Museum of Sudan in Khartoum and the museums at Kerma and Karima display artifacts from the kingdoms of Kush and Meroe. Archaeological sites including Jebel Barkal, Soleb Temple, Naqa and Al-Musawwarat es-Sufra document the region's historical position as a crossroads of African and Mediterranean cultures. The confluence of the Blue and White Nile in Khartoum creates a distinct dividing line between differently colored waters. Tuti Island and Sabaloka Gorge provide perspectives on the river environment. The Nubian Desert, Bayuda Desert with its volcanic cones and the Kassala Mountains present different desert settings. At the Red Sea port of Suakin, 19th-century coral stone buildings slowly deteriorate, while Sanganeb National Park gives access to coral reefs. The markets of Omdurman and Kassala, along with the Sufi shrine at Sheikh Hamad-al Nil, record contemporary Sudanese life. These locations provide substantial photographic opportunities in a country that receives considerably fewer tourists than its neighbors.
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