Archeologists discover massive medieval church in Sudan

A joint archaeological mission between the Polish Centre for Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Warsaw and the Sudan National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums discovered new architectural details of a major religious site in Old Dongola.

The city, historically known as Dongola, served as the capital of the Christian Makuria Kingdom between the 6th and 15th centuries.

Researchers believe the site is the Great Church of Jesus, which may have been the largest and oldest church in the Nubian region during the Middle Ages. The team reached the original floor level of the main entrance after removing layers of sand and debris. This revealed a massive staircase leading into the building and large wall supports. Preliminary estimates suggest the church measures approximately 47 meters wide and 57 meters long, with a height of about 21 meters.

This total area exceeds the size of the White House in Washington. Professor Artur Obowski stated that the building represents a turning point in regional architecture, comparing its importance to the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. The excavation also uncovered a second church on an upper floor of an eastern addition. While the walls of this smaller structure remain at a height of about one meter, the debris contained hundreds of colored plaster pieces and ancient Greek inscriptions. Dr.

Agata Deptula identified these writings as parts of evangelical hymns and psalms. Additionally, plant remains found at the site indicate that the community grew crops like corn, wheat, and barley. The presence of tobacco seeds suggests the city had extensive trade networks connecting it to the Americas.