Faras

Faras (also Pachoras, alternative spelling: Pharas ). The ancient Egyptian name Ibschek relates to the field of Faras and / the Hathorfelsen. The place was Faras in Nubia, just north of the second Nilkataraktes, in modern Sudan ( Wadi Halfa Salient ) were flooded by Lake Nubia, near the border with Egypt.

History

In the Egyptian Middle Kingdom here was an Egyptian border fortress ( The two countries combined ) was perhaps the name Ineq - tawy. A safe assignment but so far could not be made. In the New Kingdom temple of Hathor and a temple of Tutankhamun was built. In Meroitic period was called the place PHRs and was the capital of the province of Akin. From this period tombs and a palace-like buildings have been preserved.

After the collapse of the Meroitic kingdom the place of capital Nobatia, whose rulers not far from Faras was, have been in Ballana, buried. When the empire of Nobatia in 543 Christianity adopted as the state religion, a short time later was conquered Nobatia of the kingdom Makuria and the capital moved to Dongola.

In Faras that now Pachoras was called, now a eparch resided ( governor ). It was also the official seat of a bishop, who was placed under the jurisdiction of the Monophysite, Coptic Patriarchate in Egypt. The city experienced a boom. There were built numerous palaces and churches. The 13th and 14th century was a time of decline. It was built in an Arabic citadel. In the 19th century the place was only a village called Faras -in- Diffi. The place is submerged in Lake Nasser since the mid- 1960s.

Research

Archaeological excavations took place 1908-1909, University of Pennsylvania. 1909-1912 the necropolis were examined by an expedition from Oxford. In 1961 a Polish mission headed by Kazimierz Michałowski began to dig under the UNESCO bailout in Faras. This was a medieval cathedral with over 200 inscriptions, and more than 120 well-preserved murals.

Cityscape

The city was surrounded by a fortress wall built in Cushitic time. Her two entrances, the west gate and the river gate, were uncovered in the 1920s by FL Griffith. They had rectangular Torvorbauten whose inputs were on one side. The walls were made of hewn sandstone blocks which were blocked with unequal height position relative vertical joints and butt joints. This stems with angled access routes were characteristic of fortified settlements in Nubia, which were founded in the Christian era, from the 6th century: Ikhmindi, Sabagura, Kalabsha and Sheik Daud. Their masonry was also slightly skewed, but much more carefree pulled from rubble.

Faras had several churches, its ruins were excavated in some bad condition. Next to the cathedral, these were the Mastabakirche, the Church of North Monastery (also known as Church on the Citadel ), which completely destroyed corpus of Great Church, the church on the south side and the church on the river gate ( Rivergate Church).

Cathedral

→ Main article: Cathedral of Faras

The Cathedral was excavated in the years 1961-1964. We can distinguish three phases, which can be associated with the activities of three bishops again. It is Aetios (around 620), Paulos (around 700 ) and Petros ( 1100 ). The first building from the first half of the 7th century was about 24.5 × 14.5 meters tall and had three ships. There were numerous architectural decoration of stone. This church was 707 expanded and extended 24 meters to 24.5 ×. It side chapels were built. The building received granite columns. Shortly before 1100 the building was changed again. The granite pillars were replaced by brick pillars. Many wall paintings date from this building phase. Ever since that time, the Cathedral of the Mother of God ( Mary Pachoras ) was consecrated. The church was abandoned in the 14th century. The paintings of the cathedral are the largest collection of medieval Christian art from Nubia; they are related in style with Byzantine paintings, dating mostly from the 10th and 11th centuries. You are now on display in the National Museum in Khartoum and in the Muzeum Narodowe in Warsaw.

Image examples of art from Faras

Fresco in the Cathedral of Faras, the birth of Jesus Christ showing

Image of Saint Anne, mother of the Virgin Mary, Warsaw, National Museum 234 058