Protecting World Heritage: Cultural preservation at Musawwarat es-Sufra (Sudan)
(Project director: Dr. Cornelia Kleinitz, Funding by Federal Foreign Ministry, Cultural Preservation Programme)
The project 'Protecting World Heritage: Cultural Preservation at Musawwarat es-Sufra (Sudan)' aimed to preserve specific archaeological monuments in the archaeological concession of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin at Musawwarat es-Sufra. Extensive protection measures at this UNESCO-World Heritage site during the year 2020 were devoted to the area of the Apedemak Temple, the oldest known temple dedicated to this indigenous lion-headed god.
Here, a fence of c. 600m length was constructed, which follows and demarcates the ancient oval enclosure wall that once surrounded the temple. The new fence now protects what appears to have been the sacred precinct of the Apedemak Temple. This area had been transected by a road and partially served as a parking space before protective measures were implemented.
The Apedemak Temple at Musawwarat as seen from the South (photo: Cornelia Kleinitz, 2017).
Digging hundreds of foundation pits for the poles of the new mesh wire fence surrounding the Apedemak Temple (photo: Cornelia Kleinitz, 2020).
Setting the fence poles outside the ancient oval enclosure wall surrounding the Apedemak Temple precinct (photo: Cornelia Kleinitz, 2020).
Meshing the mesh for the new wire fence surrounding the Apedemak Temple (photo: Alfatih Mohamed Ali Saeed, 2020).
New protective mesh wire fence following the ancient oval enclosure wall surrounding the Apedemak Temple precinct (photo: Cornelia Kleinitz, 2020).
Installing a gate for the new Apedemak Temple fence (photo: Ahmed Mustafa - Classic, 2020).
Clearing work along the fence's path: Removing sediment recently washed into the Apedemak Temple area (photo: Cornelia Kleinitz, 2020).
Protection and conservation work also took place on the Central Terrace of the Great Enclosure, a unique labyrinthine building complex composed of temples, other rooms, ramps, corridors and courtyards. Here, a singular testimony to Cushite architecture was consolidated: a wall end in the shape of a striding elephant.
Elephant wall end on the Central Terrace of the Great Enclosure before consolidation measures (photo: Cornelia Kleinitz, 2011).
Elephant wall end on the Central Terrace of the Great Enclosure during consolidation work: uncovering the remains of older restoration measures (photo: Cornelia Kleinitz, 2020).
Applying new plaster on modern surfaces of the elephant wall end (photo: Thorsten Bunk, 2020).
Taking a last photo of the newly consolidated elephant wall end on the Central Terrace of the Great Enclosure (photo: Cornelia Kleinitz, 2020).