Pyramids of Meroë

Sudan is home to more pyramids than anywhere else in the world—over 200 structures—yet few people know Sudan has pyramids at all. The Pyramids of Meroë were built beginning in 270 BCE over a period of 700 years, serving as burial sites for the Kushite monarchs who ruled the lands of Nubia for over 3,000 years. Meroë was the third and final capital of the Kushite Kingdom, one of the great African civilizations that once covered over 1,500 km of the Nile Valley, including ruling over Egypt from around 760 to 656 BCE (commonly called "the Black Pharaohs").

Google Arts & Culture has been digitalizing imagery for virtual experiences of historical landmarks since 2013, covering over 20 sites including Petra in Jordan and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. The Pyramids of Meroë experience was conceived to help share the culture and heritage of the Middle East & North Africa region with the world, making this UNESCO World Heritage Site accessible to global audiences.

The project took a multi-modal approach to storytelling, offering visitors three distinct ways to engage:

1. Narrated Audio Experience: Content narrated by acclaimed Sudanese-American poet and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Emi Mahmoud, paired with immersive sound design
2. Scrollytelling Interface: Users can scroll through the site to explore 3D visuals and read content at their own pace
3. Augmented Reality: Explore pyramids up close in their own space, accompanied by audio snippets

Hand-drawn illustrations by Louise Zergaeng Pomeroy complemented the photogrammetry-based 3D models, creating a visual language that bridged historical documentation with artistic interpretation. The experience was made available in five languages: Arabic, English, French, German, and Spanish.

Expert historical advisors Dr. Shadia Taha and Dr. Khaled Elgawady ensured accuracy of the cultural and historical content. UNESCO also curated dedicated content about Meroë's archaeological site, Gebel Barkal and the Napatan region, and Sudan's Sanganeb Marine National Park.

The project brought together several key technologies:

• Photogrammetry: Google Brand Studio used drones to film and photograph pyramids from different angles, stitching together imagery to build 3D representations of key locations
• WebGL/WebXR: The immersive experience was built on Three.js, delivering 3D content directly in the browser
• Street View Integration: 360-degree panoramic imagery enabling users to virtually walk through the pyramids and zoom in on ancient inscriptions
• Augmented Reality: WebXR capabilities on Chrome for latest Android devices, packaged at only 2.6MB
• LIT Framework: Lightweight templating for efficient component management

For the interior 3D models, the team created a basic block-out using correct dimensions, then married the 3D model to high-resolution photographic textures sourced by Google Brand Studio. Draw & Code collaborated on 3D and AR components, running models in a test Three.js environment to validate browser performance. Storyboard documents explained how 3D and AR components fitted into the overall "scrollytelling" UX.

The project required solving complex challenges around:

• AR Space Interactions: Designing and implementing user experience for augmented reality from scratch, as WebXR was still experimental
• Designer Tools: Creating accessible interfaces for designers to control complex shader parameters and camera movements
• 3D Asset Optimization: Advising on geometry topology to ensure models performed well in a web browser context
• Cross-Platform Compatibility: Ensuring the AR experience worked on Chrome for the latest Android devices while maintaining a 2.6MB download size

The project achieved significant recognition across multiple award platforms and received widespread media coverage:

• Featured in Al Jazeera as an exclusive launch partner
• Coverage in The National, Zawya, and various technology publications
• Recognized as Google's latest effort to digitally preserve and share MENA cultural heritage
• Made accessible content about Sudanese heritage that was previously unknown to global audiences
• AR experience delivered at only 2.6MB, demonstrating optimization for mobile web