The Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Germany hosted a Round Table yesterday at The Arab Cultural House “The Divan” in Berlin to discuss the Qatari-German-Sudanese mission to preserve pyramids in Sudan. Honored scientists, such as Prof. Thomas Wildung, the Former Director General of Berlin and Munich Egyptian Museums or Ali Jassim Al Kubaisi, Chief Archaeology Officer at Qatar Museums, presented the joint project and its outstanding achievements and impact.
Initiated in 2012 by the States of Qatar and Sudan, the Qatar-Sudan Archeological Project (QSAP) has been supporting missions working to explore Sudan’s rich ancient heritage, to contribute to its preservation for future generations and to promote domestic and international tourism to sites of cultural interest. Working closely with the German Archaeological Institute (DAI), one of the projects missions focuses on Sudan’s World Heritage Site “Island of Meroe”, namely the preservation and saving of the pyramids.
Addressing the attendees at the roundtable, the ambassador of State of Qatar to Germany, H.E. Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said: “Qatar beliefs in the joint venture with Germany. We have always been great partners not only in trade, but also in culture as the initiatives for the Qatar-Germany Bilateral Cultural Year 2017 show. The archeological project we are conducting together is an important milestone for the Sudanese culture and the promotion of tourism, as we expect to attract more people to come to Sudan”.
QSAP, registered in Sudan as a non-government organization under the name Nubian Archeological Development Organization, works in close cooperation with the Sudanese National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums and Qatar Museums. Within this framework, QSAP serves as an umbrella for currently 42 scientific missions engaged in surveying unexplored landscapes, the excavation and conservation of ancient monuments, the construction of new visitor centers, and also the study of long-lost languages along the banks of the Nile and the hinterlands of the northern part of Sudan. QSAP funding is playing an important role in the process of raising awareness of the country’s cultural heritage through community outreach and capacity training.
The royal pyramid cemeteries of Meroe belong to Sudan’s most important pre-Islamic sites and represent the country’s most impressive tourist attraction. Since the 1960s the site has been adversely affected by environmental conditions, urban growth and increasing tourism. In particular, sand abrasion threatens the monuments. Launched in 2014 by Qatar Museums under the umbrella of QSAP, the mission works closely with the DAI on the architectural and cultural-historical research and on the preservation and presentation of the famous monuments according to international best practice. The Qatari Mission for the Pyramids of Sudan (QMPS) intends to approach the development of Sudan’s pyramid sites holistically, in collaboration with all stakeholders, including the local communities, to learn more about the country’s heritage and conserve it for future generations.
The German-Qatari-Sudanese cooperation has achieved impressive results over the last three years, such as the re-excavation of Queen Khennuwa’s tomb of the 4th century BCE and the pyramid associated with it and the recording of wall paintings and hieroglyphic texts, which so far had not been exhaustively documented. On top of that, the mission finalized a general conservation concept for the pyramids, based on the mapping of damages and conservation tests. In addition, the Begrawiya visitor centre was constructed, giving room for the site facilities to be rehabilitated and showing an educative exhibition on the pyramids of Meroe. A small team on site is now improving community relations and ensuring the permanent maintenance of the site. Lastly, the mission also allowed for an education program for local teachers and school groups to be implemented, as well as a training workshop for tourist guides.
Aljazeera