As pirâmides esquecidas do Sudão:apostar no jogo

Nesta nova série, os jornalistas da BBC te ajudam a aprender e praticar inglês com uma das principais notícias da semana. Assista ao vídeo e acompanhe o vocabulário.

The story…

Protecting Sudan's 'forgotten' pyramids

Learn language related to…

Ancient history

Need-to-know language

tombs – stone structures or underground rooms where people are buried

civilisations – human societies that have developed culture and institutions

ancient wonders – very old objects that cause surprise, awe, and admiration

treasure – (here) a collection of valuable things – e.g. jewels and gold

centuries-old heritage – hundreds-of-year-old features such as objects, traditions or language that are handed down in a culture from one generation to the next

Answer this…

Why were the tops of the pyramids blown off in the 1830s?

Transcript

A hidden and largely unknown history is re-emerging. These Nubian pyramids in modern-day Sudan were built around the fourth century BC.

They're much smaller than the Egyptian ones, but Sudan boasts nearly double the number.

This was one of the main cities in the Kingdom of Kush and the pyramids served as tombs for kings and queens. Today, the site is largely deserted.

But a new generation is helping to recover this history. And they are making it their own.

Mohamed Elmur, Tour Guide

I was surprised to see all of these things that literally nobody visited, that no one is taking care of them. This is an ancient history for our families. And the stories that I've heard from my family about this place - the stories of how these places were led by women, how these places were great civilisations back in time. And I wanted to know more, how to take care of it, how to make the world know more about it.

Mohammed made it his mission to get the Sudanese youth interested in their country's history. He set up a camp, and began offering free tours on social media, hoping it would help preserve Sudan's ancient wonders.

Mohamed Elmur, Tour Guide

“This is the pyramid that was blown up by dynamite.”

In the 1830s, an Italian treasure hunter came here in search of the jewels buried in the pyramids. He blew off the tops…destroying the centuries-old heritage.

But there's still a lot to see. And young Sudanese are making the journey and braving the desert.

“You as a Sudanese, you need to know your history, your culture, you to be proud about it. You have to tell other people about your history - about how big is it. So you have to see it with your own eyes before you tell it to other people.”

The pyramids remain largely unguarded, even though this is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

There's a rich history here to protect… and perhaps even more to discover.

Did you get it?

Why were the tops of the pyramids blown off in the 1830s?

The answer:

In the 1830s an Italian treasure hunter blew the tops off the pyramids in order to search for the jewels buried inside.

Did you know?

The great pyramid of Giza held the title of world’s tallest man-made structure for 3871 years. It is the last surviving wonder of the ‘seven wonders of the ancient world’.