Sudan’s war is endangering the ancient pyramids of Meroe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as fighting and a lack of security have brought all preservation work to a halt and left the fragile structures exposed to the elements.

“The site may face a disaster, and collapses are possible,” archaeologist Mahmoud Suleiman said, warning that the more than three-year conflict has prevented experts from carrying out basic maintenance.

Located about 200km (125 miles) north of Khartoum, Meroe is home to more than 200 narrow, steep-sided pyramids built between 800 BC and 350 AD as tombs for rulers of the Kingdom of Kush.

Guards said windblown sand and encroaching vegetation are accelerating their decay. “The sand has thickened heavily on the pyramids and even inside the temples, and the grass grows thick,” guard Mustafa Ahmed said.

“The pyramids have deteriorated greatly, and stones have begun to fall.”

Antiquities inspector Mohamed Mubarak said salt released from accumulated sand is attacking the “inherently fragile” stones, eroding ancient inscriptions.

Suleiman said climate change, the dispersal of Sudan’s archaeological workforce and the halt of foreign missions have all contributed to “significant deterioration”.

UNESCO has warned that more than 100 cultural sites have been damaged and at least 22 museums looted or destroyed since the war began in April 2023.