Old Dongola

Old Dongola was the capital of Makuria, the Christian Nubian kingdom that held the middle Nile for some six hundred years after the seventh century, and the site on the east bank carries the remains of churches, including one with granite columns, a large building identified as a throne hall that was later converted to a mosque, monastic complexes with painted walls, and a field of domed Islamic tombs from after the kingdom fell.

What you actually see

• The throne hall - the large building later converted into a mosque.
• The church remains - including the granite columns of one of the main buildings.
• The monastery paintings - the wall decoration recovered from the monastic complex.
• The domed tombs - the Islamic-period qubbas across the site.

When to go

November to February is the cool season. March to May is extremely hot with no shade. Excavation seasons run in the cooler months.

Honest expectations

Much of the site is unexcavated or backfilled and interpretation is limited. There is no shade anywhere. Travel in Sudan requires arrangements made well in advance.

Nearby

Ghazali Monastery is southeast, and Kawa is north.