Jebel Barkal, the Holy Mountain
Beside the Nile in Sudan rises a flat-topped mountain with a tall pinnacle on one side, shaped like a rearing cobra. The ancients believed a god lived inside it.
What was reported
Jebel Barkal is a sandstone hill about 100 metres high near the Nile in northern Sudan. On its southern cliff stands a tall, free-standing pinnacle that, seen from the right angle, looks like a rearing cobra wearing a crown, the symbol of kingship in ancient Egypt.
Egyptian conquerors in the 1400s BC believed it was the home of the god Amun, and built temples at its foot. Later the kings of Kush, who ruled Egypt for a time, made it their holiest site. Kushite kings had gold placed on the pinnacle, so it shone in the sun.
Explanations offered
The pinnacle is a natural rock formation, shaped by erosion, and its striking shape helps explain why it was seen as sacred. The temples and nearby pyramids are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 1987, an archaeologist who climbed the pinnacle found traces of an inscription near its top.
- When
- Sacred for over 3,000 years
- Where
- Jebel Barkal, Karima, Northern State, Sudan
- Witnesses
- Ancient Egyptians, Kushite kings and archaeologists
- Status
- A real place
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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