Sudanese-Polish expedition uncovers new sections of Great Church of Jesus, Coptic Solidarity says

Coptic Solidarity said on 12 November 2026 that a joint Sudanese-Polish archaeological expedition has uncovered substantial new sections of the Great Church of Jesus in Old Dongola. The findings come from the former capital of the Christian Kingdom of Makuria, according to the statement.

The excavations are directed by Professor Artur Obłuski and are conducted by the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Warsaw in cooperation with Sudan’s National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums. Researchers stated the church measured approximately 57 meters long, 47 meters wide, and had an estimated original height of 21 meters. Some surviving walls reach 11 meters in height. Professor Obłuski suggested the church may have influenced religious architecture throughout Nubia, comparing its potential architectural importance to Hagia Sophia in Constantinople.

According to the statement, recent excavations have exposed a monumental staircase leading to the entrance, structural supports around the apse, and sections of the original floor, which were reached for the first time. The team also uncovered the remains of another church on the upper floor of an adjoining building. The organization said hundreds of fragments of painted plaster were found, including religious inscriptions in Greek. These inscriptions include fragments of biblical hymns, such as the Prayer of Hannah, mother of the prophet Samuel, from the Old Testament.

The Great Church of Jesus was first identified in 2021. A church added to the complex in the thirteenth century confirms the principal structure was already standing by that time. Christianity was established in Nubia during the sixth century, leading to three major Christian kingdoms: Nobadia in the north, Makuria in the center, and Alodia to the south.