Countries With the Most Pyramids: It's Not Egypt

Sudan, not Egypt, has the most pyramids in the world. Around 200 to 255 steep Nubian pyramids stand at Meroe and other ancient Kushite sites, roughly twice the 120 to 138 pyramids found in Egypt.

Introduction

Ask almost anyone which country has the most pyramids and they will say Egypt. It is one of geography's most persistent myths. The Egyptian pyramids at Giza are the largest and most famous, but they are not the most numerous. That title belongs to Sudan, Egypt's southern neighbor, home to the ancient kingdom of Kush.

And if you count pyramid-shaped monuments of all kinds rather than only the classic Egyptian form, the Americas dwarf both countries. Mesoamerica alone contains thousands of stepped pyramid structures. Here is how the pyramid-building world really ranks.

Countries With the Most Pyramids

Where the world's pyramids actually stand

• Sudan: Around 200 to 255 pyramids, the most of any country. Built by the rulers of the Kingdom of Kush at sites such as Meroe, Nuri and El-Kurru, these Nubian pyramids are smaller and far steeper than Egypt's, with narrow bases and sharply angled sides.
• Egypt: Roughly 120 to 138 pyramids, including the Great Pyramid of Giza, the last surviving wonder of the ancient world. Egypt's are the oldest, largest and most famous, but they are outnumbered by Sudan's.
• Mexico: Thousands of pyramid structures across Mesoamerica, built by the Maya, Aztec, Teotihuacan and other cultures. The Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan and El Castillo at Chichén Itzá are among the best known. By volume, the Great Pyramid of Cholula is the largest pyramid on Earth.
• Guatemala: Hundreds of Maya pyramids, especially at Tikal, where steep temple-pyramids rise above the rainforest canopy.
• Peru: Numerous adobe and stone pyramids from pre-Inca cultures such as the Moche and Chimú, including the massive Huaca del Sol and the pyramids of Caral, among the oldest in the Americas.
• China: Dozens of large flat-topped earthen mounds that function as imperial tombs, most famously around Xi'an near the tomb of the first Qin emperor. They are pyramid-shaped burial mounds rather than stone pyramids.
• Italy: The Pyramid of Cestius, a marble-clad Roman tomb built around 12 BCE and still standing in Rome, is Europe's best-known ancient pyramid.

The counts depend on definition. If a pyramid means the classic smooth or stepped stone Egyptian style, Sudan leads. If it means any large pyramid-shaped monument, Mexico and the wider Americas hold the greatest number by far.

Why Sudan Has So Many

The Kingdom of Kush, centered on the Nile in what is now Sudan, adopted and adapted Egyptian traditions. Kushite kings and queens, including the pharaohs who ruled Egypt as its 25th Dynasty, built pyramids as royal tombs for centuries. Because each ruler built their own and the sites were used over many generations, they accumulated in large clusters, most dramatically at Meroe, where dozens of pyramids stand close together in the desert. They are less famous largely because they are smaller and were long overshadowed by Egypt's monuments.

Common Questions

Which country has the most pyramids?

Sudan has the most pyramids, with roughly 200 to 255 Nubian pyramids built by the ancient Kingdom of Kush. That is nearly double the number found in Egypt.

How many pyramids does Egypt have?

Egypt has around 120 to 138 known pyramids, including the Great Pyramid of Giza. They are the largest and most famous in the world but are outnumbered by Sudan's smaller, steeper pyramids.

Are there pyramids outside Africa?

Yes. Mexico, Guatemala and Peru contain thousands of pyramid structures built by Mesoamerican and Andean cultures, China has pyramid-shaped imperial tomb mounds, and Rome has the ancient Pyramid of Cestius.