DOI issue:
Egypt
DOI article:Godlewski, Włodzimierz: Excavations 1995
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26390#0089
THE CHURCH OF ARCHANGEL GABRIEL
This season, the recording and conservation work in the
church proceeded to include the eastern part of the church: the
main apse and lateral sanctuaries. The presence of wall paintings
under contemporary plaster was noted in all the spaces. The
original vaults were partly destroyed when the domed ceiling was
introduced, damaging the upper parts of the painting compositions.
The paintings in the main apse of the church were preserved in
relatively the best condition. All the newly uncovered wall
paintings were cleaned and provisionally protected.
The original apse of the church had a large window with a
stucco grille, located in the centre, and three niches in the bottom
part, all framed by architectural decoration in the form of limestone
bases and capitals; below the parapets of the niches there ran a
carved floral frieze. Between the niches there were painted crosses
(four have been preserved fragmentary) and above the niches a
two-part apse composition which differs in a number of details
from the typical Coptic painted apse compositions. Only the
bottom part of the Christ enthroned and the lower two
apocalyptical beings around a fragment of the wa/zuGrA? have been
preserved. In the bottom section of the composition, on either side
of the window, the apostles were represented, six to each side.
Peter is dressed differently from the rest of the apostles and is
additionally identified by an inscription referring to him as the
archbishop Peter, which would suggest that he was represented
here in dual role: as an apostle and as bishop of Alexandria (Peter
the Martyr). In the central niche there is a representation of Mother
of God and Child enthroned, in the lateral niches representations of
two saints also sitting on thrones: St. Mark the Apostle in the
northern one and in the southern one presumably the patriarch
Athanasios, although the identifications can be only provisional
without help from the missing legends. Accompanying the
paintings were two foundation texts, of which one mentions the
87
This season, the recording and conservation work in the
church proceeded to include the eastern part of the church: the
main apse and lateral sanctuaries. The presence of wall paintings
under contemporary plaster was noted in all the spaces. The
original vaults were partly destroyed when the domed ceiling was
introduced, damaging the upper parts of the painting compositions.
The paintings in the main apse of the church were preserved in
relatively the best condition. All the newly uncovered wall
paintings were cleaned and provisionally protected.
The original apse of the church had a large window with a
stucco grille, located in the centre, and three niches in the bottom
part, all framed by architectural decoration in the form of limestone
bases and capitals; below the parapets of the niches there ran a
carved floral frieze. Between the niches there were painted crosses
(four have been preserved fragmentary) and above the niches a
two-part apse composition which differs in a number of details
from the typical Coptic painted apse compositions. Only the
bottom part of the Christ enthroned and the lower two
apocalyptical beings around a fragment of the wa/zuGrA? have been
preserved. In the bottom section of the composition, on either side
of the window, the apostles were represented, six to each side.
Peter is dressed differently from the rest of the apostles and is
additionally identified by an inscription referring to him as the
archbishop Peter, which would suggest that he was represented
here in dual role: as an apostle and as bishop of Alexandria (Peter
the Martyr). In the central niche there is a representation of Mother
of God and Child enthroned, in the lateral niches representations of
two saints also sitting on thrones: St. Mark the Apostle in the
northern one and in the southern one presumably the patriarch
Athanasios, although the identifications can be only provisional
without help from the missing legends. Accompanying the
paintings were two foundation texts, of which one mentions the
87