Local mosque · 1317

Abdallah ibn Abi Sarh Mosque (Throne Hall of Dongola)

  • القدار, Sudan
Abdallah ibn Abi Sarh Mosque (Throne Hall of Dongola)
10 photos & drawings
Completed
1317
Built area
505 m2
Capacity
200worshippers
Country
Sudan
City
القدار

Overview

About the mosque

The Mosque in Dongola can be seen from afar, especially from the Nile. It stands 12 m high on a rocky outcrop rising steeply from the desert at the edge of an extensive plateau, which extends east and south of the citadel and which is occupied by the ruins of the medieval town. The massive silhouette of this building recalls at first glance Pharaonic structures and seems more like a defensive building . Travelers have long described this large rectangular structure, 28 m by 18 m, as the only building in Dongola to have remained in use, even if with short breaks, from the times of Middle Makuria in the mid 9th century until recently

Background

History

The Throne Hall of Dongola, also known as the Mosque Building, is an archaeological site in Old Dongola, Sudan. It is a two-storey brick building situated on a rocky hill, overlooking the town and the Nile valley. It was originally built in the 9th century, serving as the richly adorned representative building of the Makurian kings. In 1317, during the period of Makurian decline, it was converted into a mosque, serving this purpose until it was closed and turned into a historic monument in 1969. Shortly afterwards Polish archaeologists from the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology of the University of Warsaw began to excavate the building. It has been described as possibly "the most important, symbolic edifice in the medieval history of Sudan". It is presently the oldest preserved mosque in Sudan.

Where

Location

Battersea Park Millenium Arena, London SW11 4NJ, UKOpen in Google Maps

References

  1. 01Throne Hall of Dongolapcma.uw.edu.pl
  2. 02en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Throne_Hall_of_Dongolaen.wikipedia.org

Want to add some changes to this page?