Sabu-Jaddi, Rock art site on the Nile bend between Sabu and Jaddi, Sudan

Sabu-Jaddi is an archaeological site holding over 1600 rock carvings scattered across sandstone cliffs and the edges of wadi Jaddi. The carvings feature diverse animal figures and human depictions spread throughout the rock surfaces.

The rock art at Sabu-Jaddi developed over more than 6000 years and records different periods of Nubian civilization. It shows the shift from hunting-based societies to pastoral communities raising livestock.

The rock carvings depict boats on the Nile with curved and flat bottoms, many showing pilots standing on cabin roofs, reflecting how deeply the river shaped daily life. These images show the importance of water travel to the people who lived here.

Sabu-Jaddi lies 600 km north of Khartoum, on the east bank of the Nile at the downstream end of the third cataract, between the villages of Sabu and Jaddi. The drawings run along the sandstone cliffs of the Nile bend and along the edges of the narrow wadi Jaddi leading inland. Access is over rough, uneven ground, so bring sturdy footwear, water and sun protection.

The site entered the 2016 World Monuments Watch List because of plans for the Kajbar Power Station downstream, which put the cliffs at risk. Look for the elephants drawn with both ears shown, and the cattle with geometrically shaped horns and distorted corbels.