siddharthaa:

The Nigerian Pyramids Of West Africa - Sungbo’s Eredo

Deep in the Nigerian rainforest, one of Africa’s greatest monuments has been virtually ignored by the outside world for hundreds of years.

Yet the Eredo earthwork lies just one hour’s drive from Lagos.

Now being investigated by Dr Patrick Darling of Bournemouth University in the United Kingdom, the Eredo provides clear evidence of a powerful lost kingdom, and,

According to local tradition, the site may even shed light on the legendary Queen of Sheba.

Trekking through the rainforest you could pass within a few yards of the Eredo and not even know it was there - a great ditch hidden in the vegetation.

Built some 1,000 years ago, it encircles the ancient kingdom of Ijebu-Ode, snaking through swamps and forests.

Bigger than pyramids

Dr Darling has walked its length.

“In terms of sheer size it’s the largest single monument in Africa - larger than any of the Egyptian pyramids,” he says.

The ditch is 160 km (100 miles) long, and in places 20 metres (70 feet) deep.

“Built long before the mechanical era, it was all hand-built, requiring a large labour force and a well co-ordinated labour force working to a master plan,” Dr Darling explains.

nok-ind:

The Mountains of the Moon.

The Rwenzori Mountains or the in times of antiquity known as the ‘Legendary Mountains of the Moon’, is a mountain range of central Africa, often referred to as Mt. Rwenzori, located on the border between Uganda and the DRC. It is recognised as a UNESCO world heritage site.

The Rwenzori Mountains are the highest and most permanent sources of the River Nile, and constitute a vital water catchment. Their multitude of fast flowing rivers, magnificent waterfalls and stratified vegetation make the property exceptionally scenic and beautiful. The mountains are well-known for their unique alpine flora & Fauna. The Park supplies local communities with various wild resources and is an important cultural heritage. The mountain supports the richest montane flora in Africa. It is home to some rarest vegetation types on the African continent and is home to many undiscovered species 

History & connection to ancient Egypt

These mountain ranges are the source of the Nile River this fact was a matter of speculation for thousands of years. The ancient Greek historian Herodotus was on of the first Europeans to compile and record the various theories of the river’s origins in the 5^th century BC. According to Herodotus, the Ancient Egyptians believed that the Nile had its source in two great mountains within which were eternal springs. From here one branch was said to flow north, dividing Egypt, and another south into Nubia and Ethiopia. The priests of Sais, from whom Herodotus extracted this theory, believed the mountains to lie somewhere between Thebes and Elephantine (Aswan). Cleary, even in Herodotus’ day, the Nile had been explored well into Nubia and this was generally known to be false.

Herodotus also mentions several other theories, one being it was believed by some that the Nile River’s annual inundation was caused by snowfall at its source.

Herodotus spurned this theory based upon the well known fact that, as one travels south towards the equator it becomes excessively hot. In Herodotus’ day it was believed that the temperatures in the Torrid Zone, as it was called, where so severe and the beasts that dwelt there so ferocious, that the region was all but impassable (yep & that’s where people like myself, come from). How, Herodotus asked, could there be snows in such a place? Despite being wholeheartedly dismissed by Herodotus, this theory was very close to the truth. This theory centuries later was proven to be true by the works of Ptolemy in the 2nd century & finally validated by John Speke and Henry Morton Stanley in the mid 19th century.

The highest Rwenzoris are permanently snow-capped, and they, along with Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya are the only such in Africa.So the roots of Nile rest in mount Kilimanjaro.

Source:

http://www.geographicus.com/blog/rare-and-antique-maps/the-mountains-of-the-moon-and-the-sources-of-the-nile/

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/684

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwenzori_Mountains