DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.47598#0078
Przemyslaw Μ. Gartkiewicz
The central plan in Nubian
church architecture
The field investigations at Old Dongola in Sudan, carried out since 1964 by the Polish (Warsaw
University) Archaeological Mission under the direction of Professor Kazimierz Michalowski, have
resulted in the excavation of two important ecclesiastic monuments—one entirely, the other so far
only partly disclosed—found to have been erected on the site of earlier buildings, likewise
of ecclesiastic character1 (fig. 1).
These discoveries appear to testify to a new impulse—that of central design—which at a certain
period influenced the development of the plan and spatial arrangement of churches in Upper Nubia.
I have observed the same impulse at work in the kindred architecture of Lower Nubia as well.
These observations constitute the basis of the present article, in which I propose to discuss the
part played by central design in the evolution of Nubian church architecture.
Although the term “medieval Nubia” applies to the whole of the united kingdom, studies on the
architecture of that area have so far favoured its northern part, known by the name of Lower
Nubia2. While the architecture of Nobadia has for a long time been the subject of considerable
interest, research concerning the remaining areas—Makuria in particular—has not reached beyond
the phase of preliminary exploration, until now hardly providing a basis for more precise analysis3.
In the light of knowledge so far gained on the subject, summed up by William Y. Adams in his
synthetic work, Architectural Evolution of the Nubian Church, 500-1400 A.D., the Nubian church
and its plan developed—in the period when the process of that evolution was most intense—on the
basis of the elongate basilican pattern, invariably encased within the rectangular outline of the
1 Results of investigations are discussed in following publications: K. Michalowski, Polish Excavations at Old
Dongola—First Season, November-December 1964, Kush, Journal of the Sudan Antiquities Service (subsequently
Kush), XIV (1966), pp. 289-299; id., Dongola, Archeologia, XXIX (1969), pp. 30-33; id.. Les fouilles polonaises
à Dongola, in: E. Dinkier, Ed., Kunst und Geschichte Nubiens in christlicher Zeit, Recklinghausen 1970, pp. 136-166;
S. Jakobieiski and A. Ostrasz, Polish Excavations at Old Dongola, Second Season 1965-1966, Kush, XV (in press); id.,
and L. Krzyzaniak, Polish Excavations at Old Dongola, Third Season 1966-1967, Kush, XV (in press); id., Polish
Excavations at Old Dongola, in: Kunst und Geschichte Nubiens in christlicher Zeit, pp. 171-177; id., Polish
Excavations at Old Dongola 1970-72, Kush, XVI (in press); E. Dqbrowska-Smektala, Dongola, Africana Bulletin,
VI (1967), pp. 99-108; A. Ostrasz, Pierwsza kampania wykopaliskowa w Starej Dongoli (Sudan), Meander, XX, 11-12
(1965), pp. 451-461; I. Pomorska, Dongola, Africana Bulletin, VIII (1968), pp. 124-126; J. Leclant, Orientalia, XXXV
(1966), p. 164; XXXVI (1967), pp. 213-214; XXXVII (1968), p. 123; XXXVIII (1969), pp. 292-294; P. Gartkiewicz,
Stary Kosciol w Dongoli na tie sakralnej architektury wczesnosredniowiecznej Nubii, Kwartalnik Architektury
1 Urbanistyki, XVIII, 3-4 (1973), pp. 207-239.
2 In earlier and contemporary literature, alongside of the historical and geographical term Nubia—denoting the area
which lies between Aswan and present-day Khartoum—use is also made of the names Lower and Upper Nubia. The
first applies to the old kingdom of Nobadia, situated between the First and the Second Cataract, while the second
covers the remaining territories, i.e. Makuria and Alodia, the boundaries of which have so far not been precisely
established. The adoption of this division in specialized literature was, and still is, due to the uneven state of knowledge
on the two parts of Nubia, which in many cases render overall studies impossible. Investigations concerning Nobadia
are far more advanced than those relating to the Upper Nubian states. As a consequence of this division, the role of
Lower Nubia in the development of Christian states on the territory under discussion has been given special
prominence. In my opinion this is not fully justifiable in view of the processes which took place in the Middle Ages;
the role of Makuria, and of Dongola as political and cultural centre for the whole of Nubia, now becomes more and
more apparent, particularly in the sphere of our immediate concern, i.e. in the development of church architecture.
3 Before the Polish Archaeological Mission started its excavations at Old Dongola—with the purpose of revealing and
investigating the Christian settlement complex there—investigations of this kind in Makuria were virtually non-existent.
The sole exception were the excavations of the monastic complex at El Ghazali, situated at the southern extremity of
that kingdom, cf. P. L. Shinnie and H. N. Chittick, Ghazali—A Monastery in the Northern Sudan, Sudan Antiquities
Service Occasional Papers, No. 5, Khartoum 1961 (subsequently: SASOP). The excavations carried out on the site
adjoining the church at Nuri were concerned with an altogether different subject and cannot therefore be regarded as
investigations of the aforementioned type, cf. D. Dunham, The Royal Cemeteries of Kush, II, Nuri, Boston,
Massachusetts 1955.
49
The central plan in Nubian
church architecture
The field investigations at Old Dongola in Sudan, carried out since 1964 by the Polish (Warsaw
University) Archaeological Mission under the direction of Professor Kazimierz Michalowski, have
resulted in the excavation of two important ecclesiastic monuments—one entirely, the other so far
only partly disclosed—found to have been erected on the site of earlier buildings, likewise
of ecclesiastic character1 (fig. 1).
These discoveries appear to testify to a new impulse—that of central design—which at a certain
period influenced the development of the plan and spatial arrangement of churches in Upper Nubia.
I have observed the same impulse at work in the kindred architecture of Lower Nubia as well.
These observations constitute the basis of the present article, in which I propose to discuss the
part played by central design in the evolution of Nubian church architecture.
Although the term “medieval Nubia” applies to the whole of the united kingdom, studies on the
architecture of that area have so far favoured its northern part, known by the name of Lower
Nubia2. While the architecture of Nobadia has for a long time been the subject of considerable
interest, research concerning the remaining areas—Makuria in particular—has not reached beyond
the phase of preliminary exploration, until now hardly providing a basis for more precise analysis3.
In the light of knowledge so far gained on the subject, summed up by William Y. Adams in his
synthetic work, Architectural Evolution of the Nubian Church, 500-1400 A.D., the Nubian church
and its plan developed—in the period when the process of that evolution was most intense—on the
basis of the elongate basilican pattern, invariably encased within the rectangular outline of the
1 Results of investigations are discussed in following publications: K. Michalowski, Polish Excavations at Old
Dongola—First Season, November-December 1964, Kush, Journal of the Sudan Antiquities Service (subsequently
Kush), XIV (1966), pp. 289-299; id., Dongola, Archeologia, XXIX (1969), pp. 30-33; id.. Les fouilles polonaises
à Dongola, in: E. Dinkier, Ed., Kunst und Geschichte Nubiens in christlicher Zeit, Recklinghausen 1970, pp. 136-166;
S. Jakobieiski and A. Ostrasz, Polish Excavations at Old Dongola, Second Season 1965-1966, Kush, XV (in press); id.,
and L. Krzyzaniak, Polish Excavations at Old Dongola, Third Season 1966-1967, Kush, XV (in press); id., Polish
Excavations at Old Dongola, in: Kunst und Geschichte Nubiens in christlicher Zeit, pp. 171-177; id., Polish
Excavations at Old Dongola 1970-72, Kush, XVI (in press); E. Dqbrowska-Smektala, Dongola, Africana Bulletin,
VI (1967), pp. 99-108; A. Ostrasz, Pierwsza kampania wykopaliskowa w Starej Dongoli (Sudan), Meander, XX, 11-12
(1965), pp. 451-461; I. Pomorska, Dongola, Africana Bulletin, VIII (1968), pp. 124-126; J. Leclant, Orientalia, XXXV
(1966), p. 164; XXXVI (1967), pp. 213-214; XXXVII (1968), p. 123; XXXVIII (1969), pp. 292-294; P. Gartkiewicz,
Stary Kosciol w Dongoli na tie sakralnej architektury wczesnosredniowiecznej Nubii, Kwartalnik Architektury
1 Urbanistyki, XVIII, 3-4 (1973), pp. 207-239.
2 In earlier and contemporary literature, alongside of the historical and geographical term Nubia—denoting the area
which lies between Aswan and present-day Khartoum—use is also made of the names Lower and Upper Nubia. The
first applies to the old kingdom of Nobadia, situated between the First and the Second Cataract, while the second
covers the remaining territories, i.e. Makuria and Alodia, the boundaries of which have so far not been precisely
established. The adoption of this division in specialized literature was, and still is, due to the uneven state of knowledge
on the two parts of Nubia, which in many cases render overall studies impossible. Investigations concerning Nobadia
are far more advanced than those relating to the Upper Nubian states. As a consequence of this division, the role of
Lower Nubia in the development of Christian states on the territory under discussion has been given special
prominence. In my opinion this is not fully justifiable in view of the processes which took place in the Middle Ages;
the role of Makuria, and of Dongola as political and cultural centre for the whole of Nubia, now becomes more and
more apparent, particularly in the sphere of our immediate concern, i.e. in the development of church architecture.
3 Before the Polish Archaeological Mission started its excavations at Old Dongola—with the purpose of revealing and
investigating the Christian settlement complex there—investigations of this kind in Makuria were virtually non-existent.
The sole exception were the excavations of the monastic complex at El Ghazali, situated at the southern extremity of
that kingdom, cf. P. L. Shinnie and H. N. Chittick, Ghazali—A Monastery in the Northern Sudan, Sudan Antiquities
Service Occasional Papers, No. 5, Khartoum 1961 (subsequently: SASOP). The excavations carried out on the site
adjoining the church at Nuri were concerned with an altogether different subject and cannot therefore be regarded as
investigations of the aforementioned type, cf. D. Dunham, The Royal Cemeteries of Kush, II, Nuri, Boston,
Massachusetts 1955.
49