Dongola Throne Hall | |
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![]() The Throne Hall of Dongola from the north | |
General information | |
Architectural style | Nubian-Byzantine |
Town or city | Old Dongola |
Country | Sudan |
Coordinates | 18°13′29″N 30°44′44″E / 18.22472°N 30.74556°E |
Completed | 9th century |
Technical details | |
Size | 12m (39ft) height, 28m (92ft) width, 18m (59ft) depth |
The Throne Hall of Dongola, also known as the Mosque Building or Mosque of Abdallah ibn Abi Sarh, 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".[1] It is presently the oldest preserved mosque in Sudan.