The National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums is the government institution which is responsible of the antiquities' excavation and protection, displaying of the national cultural heritage at its museums and the internal and external exhibitions.
The Corporation cooperates with more than 25 foreign missions which are undertaking archaeological researches in a number of sites in Sudan in accordance with licences issued by the Corporation's administration. The Corporation welcomes researchers from all parts of the world to contribute unearthing the antiquities and history of the Sudan according to the archaeological research's necessary scientific, technical and financial terms.
The Corporation supervise thousands of archaeological sites coutnrywide, more than 30 of which are constituting important sites for the cultural tourism, including the following:
1 - Al-Nag'a Site:
This site lies 170 kms north-east of Khartoum and includes a number of temples which are built of the Nubian sandstone and decorated with the religious paintings, in addition to the remains of a town and a cemetry which has not been excavated yet. The site dates back to the Meroitic period and much of its existing buildings date back to the first century B.C. and first century A.D.
2 - Al-Musawarat Al-Sufra:
It lies 20 kms north of the previous site and includes a group of temples from the same Meroitic period.
3 - Old Merwoe:
It Lies in Kaboshiya area, and it is the capital of Meroitic Kingdom (4 century B.C. - 4 century A.D.) and includes the remains of old Meroe town with its temples, mansions, baths and three groups of pyramids in which the kings and nobles of Meroitic Kingdom were buried.
4 - Jabal Al-Barkal:
It lies near the 4th cataract. It is the capital of Napata Kingdom (9th century B.C. - 4th century A.D.). It includes remains of temples, mansions and pyramids.
5 - Al-Kuru:
It lies 24 kms from jabal Al-Barkal and includes graves that are dug inside the stones and coloured with fascinating paintings, where the first kings of Napata, some of whom ruled Egypt in what was known as the 25th Dynasty, where buried.
6 - Nuri:
It lies at the other bank of the Nile and opposite to Jabel Al-Barkal, and includes a number of Napata Kings' pyramids.
7 - New Merawe:
It lies on the same bank of the Nile, 15 kms away from Nuri, and includes temples from Napata period, besides remains of a town and cemetary of the same era.
8 - Al-Ghazali:
It is an oasis in the desert near New Merawe and includes remains of an abbey and a church which date back to the Christian era.
9 - Al-Zuma:
It is near Al-Kuru with graves from the era that followed Meroitic period.
10 - Kajabi and Aldati:
Near Al-Kuru with remains of fortifications from the Islamic period.
11 - Old Dongola:
It is the capital of the Christian Maghura Kingdom (7th - 14th century A.D.) and includes remains of churches, houses, abbeys, cemetry and an old mosque which was originally a Christian building.
12 - Al-Kawa:
It lies on the other bank of the Nile, to the east of new Dongola and includes remains of temples form the periods of the modern Egyptian Kingdom, Napata and Meroe.
13 - Tabu:
It lies on Argo Island and has temples and buildings from Napata and Meroe periods.
14 - Karma:
It is located 30 kms south of the 3rd cataract and capital of the Sudanese Karma Kingdom (2500 - 1500 B.C.). It includes high rising buildings of unbaked bricks and the remains of one of the oldest African towns known by the name Duffufa.
15 - Tumbuss:
It is at the 3rd cataract with pharohnic texts writen on the cataract stones, besides a statue which is still laying on its natural place at the quarry.
16 - Sisbi:
It has a temple and remains of a Pharohnic town from the modern Egyptian Kingdom.
17 - Soleb:
It contains a temple and the remains of buildings from the modern Egyptian Kingdom.
18 - Sadeenga:
It contains a pharohnic temple and graves from Napata and Meroe periods.
19 - Sai Island:
It lies to the south of the 2nd cataract and includes antiquities from all the periods of Sudan's history since the stone age till the Ottomanic era.
20 - Sawakin:
Sawakin town is on the Red Sea coast and it is Sudan's oldest harbour which is including fascinating models of rare Islamic architecture.
