Old Dongola

Dirt road leading through the narrow band of green along the Nile	Green fields and palm trees on the banks of the Nile	Old Dongola Ferry	Old Dongola Ferry across the Nile ca 35km north of El Daba
The Old Dongola ferry is on the other side as we arrive	Irrigation using Nile river water	Sudanese women waiting for the Old Dongola Ferry	Looking across the Nile to Old Dongola, the first major site in Nubia
Old Dongola on the East Bank of the Nile	The Throne Hall of Old Dongola (9th-10th C.)	Green Bee-eater, Merops orientalis	SudanZDec09 022.jpg
SudanZDec09 023.jpg	The Old Dongola Ferry arrives	Mahmoud backing the truck onto the Old Dongola Ferry	The Old Dongola Ferry
Another overloaded pickup boarding the Old Dongola Ferry	Sudanese man on the Old Dongola Ferry	The Old Dongola Ferry Captain	Crossing the Nile on the Old Dongola Ferry
Reaching the east bank of the Nile at Old Dongola	The Old Dongola Ferry	Here, above the Aswan Dam, the Nile stills rises and falls seasonally	Man carrying buckets and a colorfully dressed woman disembarking at Old Dongola
Walking up through the cut in the embankment	Palm trees near Old Dongola	Palm trees along the Nile near Old Dongola	Palm trees along the Nile near Old Dongola
Palm trees along the Nile	Palm trees near Old Dongola	We're looking the the gaffir (caretaker, watchman) in charge of Old Dongola	Boys of Old Dongola
Small hut among the palms on the east bank of the Nile near the Old Dongola Ferry	Young Sudanese boys from Old Dongola	Boys of Old Dongola	Old Dongola was the capital of the medieval Christian kingdom of Makuria (7th-14th C.)
Monastery of the Holy Trinity, Old Dongola	No Entry - the Key is in Khartoum!	We're told that inside the monastery are impressive medieval Christian frescoes	Check out the National Museum in Khartoum for similar Christian artwork
Partially excavated Monastery of the Holy Trinity, Old Dongola	Centuries-old pottery shards, Old Dongola	Medieval pottery shards just lying around the monastery	Fine stone pavement next to the Monastery of the Holy Trinity
Simple mud brick architecture, Old Dongola	Monastery of the Holy Trinity, Old Dongola	Panoramic view of Old Dongola from near the Monastery	Grinding stones, Old Dongola
Monastery of the Holy Trinity, Old Dongola	The dozen or so beehive structures are tombs from the Islamic era	Driving towards Old Dongola's most impressive structure, the Throne Hall	The Throne Hall of Old Dongola, built in the 9th-10th Century
Throne Hall of Old Dongola was converted into a mosque in 1323 and remained in use until 1969	Sandy tracks at Old Dongola	Stone pillars still standing in Old Dongola	Standing column, Old Dongola
Twin columns, Old Dongola	Twin columns, Old Dongola	Twin columns, Old Dongola	Ruins of Old Dongola (7th-14th C.)
Ruins of Old Dongola (7th-14th C.)	Church of Granite Columns, 7th C., Old Dongola	Column capitals carved with Christian symbols	Column capital carved with a cross, Old Dongola
...Sudan does not readily come to mind as an early center of Christianity	Church of Granite Columns, 7th C., Old Dongola	Church of Granite Columns, 7th C., Old Dongola	10 pillars remain standing in the 7th C. Church of Granite Columns
Church of Granite Columns, 7th C., Old Dongola	The Throne Hall, Old Dongola	The ruins of Old Dongola near the banks of the Nile	Old Dongola
Old Dongola - not another tourist or souvenir seller in sight...	The Throne Hall of Old Dongola	Throne Hall, Old Dongola	The Throne Hall also contains early Christian frescoes which had been painted over when this was converted to a mosque
The Throne Hall, also locked - key probably in Khartoum	SudanDec09 1205.jpg	Beehive tombs and ruins from the later Islamic-era, Old Dongola	Remains of the village of Old Dongola
Ruins of a beehive tomb, Old Dongola	Beehive tombs (Nawamis) common in Northern Sudan	Cemetery of Old Dongola	Cemetery of Old Dongola
Cemetery of Old Dongola	Our guide told us that the beehive tombs dated from the Islamic-era of Old Dongola (post-14th Century)	Beehive Tombs, Old Dongola	Cemetery of Old Dongola
Beehive Tombs, Old Dongola	Beehive Tombs, Old Dongola	Domed tomb with a square base, Old Dongola	Passing back through the "modern" village at Old Dongola
Palms along the Nile	Laughing Dove (Stigmatopelia senegalensis) on the banks of the Nile, Old Dongola	East Bank - Old Dongola Ferry	Sudan license plate
Palms on the Nile	Boarding the Dongola Ferry from the East Bank	Old Dongola Ferry pulling away from the East Bank	Old Dongola Ferry turning
East Bank of the Nile at the Old Dongola Ferry	Crossing the Nile at Old Dongola	The ruins of Old Dongola from the Nile ferry	Sudanese men waiting for the Old Dongola Ferry on the West Bank
Passing through the narrow fertile strip on the banks of the Nile	Palm trees on the west bank of the Nile, Old Dongola	Palm trees on the west bank of the Nile, Old Dongola