The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary organization inspired by rival General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, engaged in fierce warfare with the state military, under the command of General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, in the Sudanese city of Khartoum on April 14. Not only has the violence threatened Sudan’s democratic transition, but it also jeopardizes a rare collection of ancient Christian artwork recently found in the nation.
Old Dongola, a historic city in Sudan’s Northern State, has been the focus of a team of archaeologists led by Poles. They have discovered a stunning collection of Christian artwork, including never-before-seen illustrations of Christian iconography. One famous painting shows King David of Makuria kissing Jesus’ hand.
Hidden Complex of Ancient Christian Art Discovered in Sudan Could Change Understanding of Makuria
A group of archaeologists working under the supervision of Artur Obuski, a specialist in Christian Nubia and the head of the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Warsaw, have discovered a secret network of rooms in Old Dongola, Sudan, that preserve historical Christian iconography. According to the article shared in The Art Newspaper, the artwork is thought to have been produced to assist the Makurian king through trying times. The find was made after the biggest Nubian Christian church in the area while working beneath former private residences from the Funj era.
Obuski speculates that the chambers may have served as a memorial complex honoring the Makurian nobles or even the royal family. Wall paintings and inscriptions in one chamber, which resembles a tomb, show that it was formerly used to store Eucharistic gifts as part of the church. Wall murals can be seen in other chambers, and a bigger room to the west once had a dome over it.
A unique wall mural in the tomb-like room, never before seen in Christian iconography anywhere in the world, may change how we perceive Makuria and the development and decline of Christianity in contemporary Sudan. The image depicts Jesus emerging from a cloud while embracing the archangel Gabriel and a regal personage who kisses His hand. Obuski observes that such close proximity between saints or Christ and ordinary people is unique in Late Antique painting.
Unique Style and Motifs of Ancient Christian Art in Sudan Challenge Prevailing Views on African Art
In another source, ArtNews shared that a Nubian king is shown in the Christian paintings submitting to Christ and receiving a blessing while being watched over by the Archangel Michael, whose wings cover both figures. In another artwork, Mary is shown in an unusual pose while carrying a book and a cross and donning a dark gown.
Artur Obuski, the lead archaeologist, discussed his thoughts on the paintings’ peculiar appearance and content. He asserted that the artwork refutes the notion that Africans only tried to copy North American art. Instead, he highlighted their ingenuity and adaptability in absorbing international trends to meet their requirements, which resulted in a change to a Nubio- and Afrocentric perspective.
According to ArtNet, the rooms where the paintings are kept are mysterious in and of themselves. The area is small and irregularly formed, making it unlikely to be a tomb while being elevated above the ground. This important discovery is made more intriguing by the theory put up by researchers that the paintings were made in this hidden location when King David and his army of slave troops neared Dongola.
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