DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26282#0045
Chapter Three
discussion the following should be considered:
two episcopal churches at Qasr Ibrim - the Old
Church, which is most prpbably the foundation of
Bishop Longinus (Gartkiewicz 1982: 88, Fig. 2;
Godlewski 2004: 34) and the Basilica (Frend
1965; Gartkiewicz 1982); at Dongola - Church
of the Stone Pavement (EC.I) (Godlewski 1990:
519-523); at Soba - Church A.2 (Welsby, Daniels
1990: 37-62, 310-315), which could have been
the cathedral of Bishop Longinus during his stay
at Alodia around 580. Of these, two are of biggest
consequence for our discussion in view of their
state of preservation, namely, the EC.I church
from Dongola and the basilica from Qasr Ibrim.
Furthermore, they are chronologically close to
the Cathedral of Aetios. Disregarding size (Aetios’
foundation is the smallest), the three represent the
same type of columnar five-aisle basilica with
a nave that is much wider than the aisles, similar
liturgical furnishings, including a synthronon in
the apse, sanctuary in the eastern part of the nave,
baptistery in the southeastern part of the
complex. The differences lie in the construction
material, the early Dongolan cathedral being
made of red brick, while the basilica at Qasr
Ibrim and the Cathedral of Aetios were erected of
sandstone blocks. The columns, however, were of
granite in all three buildings. At Faras, we may
only presume that all of the architectural
decoration in the Cathedral of Paulos came from
the Basilica of Aetios. But the pink granite capitals
from Dongola are earlier than the capitals from
Qasr Ibrim and Faras, and their decoration was
executed in a different technique.
Although the plan of Aetios’ cathedral follows
closely that of the Dongolan cathedral (EC.I), the
building has many local features that set it apart,
especially in the apse decoration, which has to be
deemed exceptional, at least relevant to our
current knowledge of Nubian architecture. While
Gartkiewicz (1986: 252) believed it possible to
reconstruct an analogous decoration of the apse
at the Old Church in Qasr Ibrim, to my mind the
frieze from Qasr Ibrim is not adequately
documented. The sole references for the Faras
frieze come from churches in the Thebaid: Deir el
Abiad (Deir Anba Shinuda) and Deir el-Ahmar
(Deir Anba Bishoi) in Sohag, Dendera (Monneret
de Villard 1925; Grossmann 2002: 528-538,
443-445) and the church in front of the pylon
at Luxor (Grossmann 1973; 2002: 448-450). The
ties of the traditional stone-dressing workshops of
long standing from Faras with the ateliers of
southern Egypt are evident and well documented
(Godlewski 1986).
Finally, one should not overlook local
influences observable in the Cathedral of Aetios.
They can also be seen in the plan of the early
three-aisled basilica with narthex at Qasr el Wizz
(Scanlon 1970) [Fig. 23], as well as in the
products of the Faras stone workshops (God-
lewski 1986). It seems highly probable that the
freshly appointed bishop of Pachoras commis-
sioned the local workmen to execute his ambition
for an episcopal church. This would explain the
differences in technique and carving as compared
to the cathedral at Dongola and the geographi-
cally much nearer cathedral at Qasr Ibrim.
PAM Supplement Series 1
41
discussion the following should be considered:
two episcopal churches at Qasr Ibrim - the Old
Church, which is most prpbably the foundation of
Bishop Longinus (Gartkiewicz 1982: 88, Fig. 2;
Godlewski 2004: 34) and the Basilica (Frend
1965; Gartkiewicz 1982); at Dongola - Church
of the Stone Pavement (EC.I) (Godlewski 1990:
519-523); at Soba - Church A.2 (Welsby, Daniels
1990: 37-62, 310-315), which could have been
the cathedral of Bishop Longinus during his stay
at Alodia around 580. Of these, two are of biggest
consequence for our discussion in view of their
state of preservation, namely, the EC.I church
from Dongola and the basilica from Qasr Ibrim.
Furthermore, they are chronologically close to
the Cathedral of Aetios. Disregarding size (Aetios’
foundation is the smallest), the three represent the
same type of columnar five-aisle basilica with
a nave that is much wider than the aisles, similar
liturgical furnishings, including a synthronon in
the apse, sanctuary in the eastern part of the nave,
baptistery in the southeastern part of the
complex. The differences lie in the construction
material, the early Dongolan cathedral being
made of red brick, while the basilica at Qasr
Ibrim and the Cathedral of Aetios were erected of
sandstone blocks. The columns, however, were of
granite in all three buildings. At Faras, we may
only presume that all of the architectural
decoration in the Cathedral of Paulos came from
the Basilica of Aetios. But the pink granite capitals
from Dongola are earlier than the capitals from
Qasr Ibrim and Faras, and their decoration was
executed in a different technique.
Although the plan of Aetios’ cathedral follows
closely that of the Dongolan cathedral (EC.I), the
building has many local features that set it apart,
especially in the apse decoration, which has to be
deemed exceptional, at least relevant to our
current knowledge of Nubian architecture. While
Gartkiewicz (1986: 252) believed it possible to
reconstruct an analogous decoration of the apse
at the Old Church in Qasr Ibrim, to my mind the
frieze from Qasr Ibrim is not adequately
documented. The sole references for the Faras
frieze come from churches in the Thebaid: Deir el
Abiad (Deir Anba Shinuda) and Deir el-Ahmar
(Deir Anba Bishoi) in Sohag, Dendera (Monneret
de Villard 1925; Grossmann 2002: 528-538,
443-445) and the church in front of the pylon
at Luxor (Grossmann 1973; 2002: 448-450). The
ties of the traditional stone-dressing workshops of
long standing from Faras with the ateliers of
southern Egypt are evident and well documented
(Godlewski 1986).
Finally, one should not overlook local
influences observable in the Cathedral of Aetios.
They can also be seen in the plan of the early
three-aisled basilica with narthex at Qasr el Wizz
(Scanlon 1970) [Fig. 23], as well as in the
products of the Faras stone workshops (God-
lewski 1986). It seems highly probable that the
freshly appointed bishop of Pachoras commis-
sioned the local workmen to execute his ambition
for an episcopal church. This would explain the
differences in technique and carving as compared
to the cathedral at Dongola and the geographi-
cally much nearer cathedral at Qasr Ibrim.
PAM Supplement Series 1
41