Sudan has been in the headlines for the last few years for all the wrong reasons headlines are made, with allegations of state-provided hospitality to terrorists and the genocidal situation in still transpiring in Darfur.
For those brave, adventerous or just stubborn enough to ignore dangers implicit to going into a veritable war zone, there is an impressive desert landscape and many ancient monuments to see in this large African nation.
It is not widely known that there are approximately twice as many pyramids in Sudan as there are in Egypt. The Sudanese pyramids are much smaller (many between 50 and 100 feet tall) than the Egyptian ones, but they are still impressive nonetheless. Many of these pyramids can be found at the ancient site of Meroe. The narrow pyramid tombs of the Meroitic pharaohs lie all over the sandy hills and contain some preserved hieroglyphics.
The capital of Khartoum is a modern and hospitable city built at the junction of the Blue Nile and the White Nile. Its National Museum houses some fine Nubian Christian frescoes and several temples that were saved from the Aswan Dam. As well, the Mahdist Muslim city of Omdurman is now a major district in Khartoum and is famous for its souk and camel market. Elsewhere active travelers can appreciate Port Sudan, which is a large city that serves as an excellent base for Red Sea diving.
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