Excavations Reveal Monumental Church in Ancient Christian Kingdom

OLD DONGOLA, SUDAN — Archaeologists excavating the Great Church of Jesus in Old Dongola, the former capital of the Christian Kingdom of Makuria, have uncovered a monumental staircase, additional architectural features, and remains of another church built on an adjoining structure’s upper floor.

The Sudanese-Polish expedition, led by Prof. Artur Obłuski of the University of Warsaw’s Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, reached the original floor level of the Great Church for the first time during its latest field season. The building, described in Arabic sources as the largest and wealthiest church in medieval Nubia, measures at least 155 feet wide and approximately 190 long. Researchers estimate its height at around 70 feet.

Obłuski said the church could have influenced ecclesiastical architecture across Nubia and possibly other parts of Africa, comparing its potential significance to that of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. Excavations have also revealed an adjoining church containing painted-plaster fragments and Greek inscriptions. Epigraphist Dr. Agata Deptuła identified one inscription as part of the Prayer of Hannah, the biblical mother of the prophet Samuel. The fragments represent a new discovery of biblical canticles at the site.

The expedition also completed conservation work and installed a solar-powered system to support water pumps and pressure stations serving approximately 10,000 local residents, including people whose water access had been disrupted by Sudan’s ongoing conflict.

Research at Old Dongola is conducted jointly with Sudan’s National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums and includes cooperation with local communities. The project is funded by the European Research Council and Poland’s National Science Centre.

Previously, the UOJ reported that archaeologists identified an early church near Venice dating to the fourth century.