Sudanese and Polish researchers uncover massive medieval Nubian cathedral

Sudanese and Polish researchers uncovered new structural elements of the Great Church of Jesus in Vieux Dongola, located in northern Sudan.

The team, which includes members from the University of Warsaw's Mediterranean Archaeology Center, revealed details of the largest Christian cathedral from the medieval Nubian era. The excavations revealed a large staircase leading into the building, buttresses reinforcing the apse, and the original ground level of the structure for the first time.

The cathedral measures 47 meters wide, 57 meters long, and 21 meters high. Because the building was completely buried by earth, its architecture remained remarkably preserved. Vieux Dongola served as the capital of the Christian kingdom of Makourie in Nubia, a region along the Nile between northern Sudan and southern Egypt. The kingdom prospered from the 5th to the 15th century.

The Sudanese Minister of Culture, Khalid Ali, stated that the discovery confirms Dongola as a primary center of civilization in the Nile Valley. He announced plans to continue excavations and involve local communities in preserving the site.