A “haboob,” or sandstorm, rolls across the Meroë pyramids in Sudan. Most of the 41 tombs here belong to the royals of the powerful Kingdom of Kush (900 B.C. to A.D. 400), which ruled large parts of the middle Nile Valley. When this image was made, Sudan was a different country. Since war erupted in April 2023, the conflict has shattered lives and placed the nation's extraordinary cultural heritage in grave peril with museums looted, archaeological sites left unguarded, and millennia-old treasures scattered or destroyed. Meroë still stands, for now, but the storms gathering around Sudan's ancient places are no longer only made of sand.

Nichole Sobecki is a photographer and filmmaker based in Nairobi, Kenya. She aims to create photographs and films that demand consideration for the lives of those represented – their joys, challenges, and ultimately their humanity. Amidst our fractured present existence, she believes that a well-told story can cut through the noise, deepen empathy, and inspire a more conscious world. 

Follow Nichole on Instagram @nicholesobecki.