Nuri Pyramid Nu.1 (King Taharqa)
Napatan, 25th Dynasty, c.690–664 BCE·Kushite (Egyptianized Napatan)·🇸🇩 Northern State, Nuri, Napata, Sudan
About
About Nuri Pyramid Nu.1 (King Taharqa)
Largest pyramid at Nuri (Nu.1) for Taharqa (c.664 BCE, 25th Dynasty), 52 m base, 40–50 m original height. Sandstone core with steep 69° faces; Reisner 1917 excavated monumental shaft 21 m deep, 3-step corridor and two pillared halls. Granite sarcophagus shattered; Shabti field. Part of Gebel Barkal and Sites of the Napatan Region UNESCO 1073.
Why it mattersGreatest Nubian pyramid; Taharqa's Egyptian-Kushite synthesis.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Missing body — Assyrian sack vs hidden secondary burial
Theories
- 01Napatan pyramid re-interprets New Kingdom Thebes
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.664 BCE
- Period
- Napatan, 25th Dynasty, c.690–664 BCE
- Culture
- Kushite (Egyptianized Napatan)
- Builders
- Kushite (Taharqa)
- Purpose
- Royal tomb — Taharqa, builder of Egyptian monuments (Kawa, Karnak)
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c.664 BCE
Initial construction / foundation
c.500 CE
Major refurbishment / enlargement phase
c.1100 CE
Abandonment or conversion
1890–1930
Modern rediscovery and first scientific survey
On the ground
Structures & features
18.5649° N · 31.9151° E · 260 m · 2 mapped features
Deep shaft and first pillared hall
hall21 m shaft to first hall with 4 pillars and offering chapel above
18.5649° N · 31.9151° EGranite sarcophagus chamber
chamberSecond hall with granite sarcophagus fragments and shabti deposit
18.5648° N · 31.9152° E