Anniversary: Polish archaeologists founded field of knowledge thanks to Faras

Exactly year ago amazing gallery featuring medieval painting from Nubian cathedral was reopened in National Museum in Warsaw. Just few days ago researchers organized in this museum conference entitled "Painting from Faras - 50 years in Poland". Here we have another anniversary - 50 years ago over 60 paintings from 8th to 14th centuries happily arrived to Warsaw - on board from Port Sudan on a ship "Monte Cassino".

When professor Kazmierz Michałowski started excavating a hill in Faras in northern Sudan, close to the border with Egypt, he was quite certain that he will dig up pharaohs temple - on the slope he noticed numerous stone blocks covered with hieroglyphs. To his surprise - he uncovered very nicely preserved Christian cathedral. Thanks to these excavations totally new world for researchers was shown. To this point - in 1961 - Nubia was underestimated by numerous scientists who did not expect to find here nothing really interesting. They simply thought that it was boundary of Egyptian civilization, not an independent and amusing world, with its own kingdoms, culture and art. Thats how nubiology started to exist. Today one can admire in Warsaw the only display in Europe presenting Nubian art and cultural artifacts from the Christian period.

Its is worth mentioning that these were rescue excavations. Soon after the archaeological project the whole area was flooded with water piled up by the Aswan High Dam.

"If you have an hour to spare, you can spend 1000 years here" - we are encouraged in museums commercial. Thats a fact. If you cannot visit Poland I have a surprise - here you will find 3D reconstruction of the Faras cathedral. It was prepared really carefully with full support of scientists. Work lasted 3 years. Hope you will enjoy it!

Saint Anna from Faras - VIII-first quarter X century. It used to be part of National Museum in Warsaw logotype. Originally placed in the part of cathedral in which women gathered.