Dongola

Dongola rises above the Nile in the heart of Nubia. Its fortified citadel and churches made it the capital of Makuria, a Christian kingdom that flourished along the river for centuries. From this city, caravans also set out westwards towards Kordofan and Darfur, crossing the desert beyond the fertile strip of the Nile.

In 1317 a building associated with the Makurian kings was converted into a mosque, a visible sign of change in the city. Makuria's royal court later moved away, but settlement at Dongola continued. Under the Funj sultanate, the kingdom of Dongola remained a significant part of the political landscape of the Nile valley, while the old capital's buildings and cultivated lands acquired new uses. Nubian communities continued to inhabit the riverbanks as Islam and Arabic spread through the region.