Kerma

Defufa

The word defufa means mud-brick building in Nubian. Two such buildings can be found here in Kerma and they’re considered the oldest, and arguably largest, mud brick buildings on the continent. The Western defufa is around 5000 years old and stood about 19 m high and stretched 50 m long. Nobody is really certain what it was used for but most agree it served a religious purpose. Even though it has crumbled into an oddly appealing form, you can still climb to the top and enjoy breathtaking views.

Kerma Museum

Next to Kerma's western defufa is this well organised museum that contains interesting relics from the site, including seven imposing granite statues and various Nubian artifacts. There's also a section dedicated to the Christian and Islamic heritage of the area.

Pro-tip:
- Ask for Mohammad Hassan, the director of the museum. He speaks good English.
- The museum is technically closed on Monday.

Kerma's Cemetery and Royal Tombs

Kerma contains a cemetery with over 30,000 graves. The cemetery shows a general pattern of larger graves ringed by smaller ones, suggesting social stratification. The site includes at its southern boundary burial mounds, with four extending upwards of 90 meters (300 feet) in diameter. These are believed to be the graves of the city's final kings, some of which contain motifs and artwork reflecting Egyptian deities such as Horus. Generally, influence from Egypt may be observed in numerous burials, especially with regards to material evidence such as pottery and grave goods. After the sacking of Kerma, the cemetery was used to host the kings of the 25th or ``Napatan`` dynasty of the Kingdom of Kush from Upper (Southern) Nubia.