WARSAW, POLAND—Excavations within the medieval Great Church of Jesus in northern Sudan’s Old Dongola uncovered a section of the original cathedral floor for the first time, according to an IFL Science report. Old Dongola was the capital of Makuria, a flourishing Nubian kingdom that converted to Christianity in the sixth century A.D. The cathedral once dominated the ancient metropolis, measuring 154 feet wide and 187 long, and standing over six stories high. It was one of the most monumental and important Christian buildings in Nubia, likely serving as the seat of the Bishop of Dongola, one of the most senior Christian figures in medieval sub-Saharan Africa. The recent work was a joint endeavor conducted by Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Warsaw and Sudan’s National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums. In addition to the original floor where medieval worshippers once walked, the team unearthed the base of a vast staircase. “In the history of architecture, certain buildings emerge that, to use a modern term, become trendsetters. Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, modern-day Istanbul, is certainly one such example,” said Artur Obłuski, expedition director from the University of Warsaw. “The Great Church of Jesus appears to be a natural candidate for such a role in Nubia, and perhaps even in this part of Africa.” To read about other finds from Old Dongola, go to “A Painted Prayer,” one of ARCHAEOLOGY’s Top 10 Discoveries of 2023.
