Abdel Qadir

On the west bank of the Nile 346 km upriver from Philae. A tiny church of Terminal Christian type which stood directly opposite the island site of Meinarti, whose parishioners it probably served. Before its enlargement by the addition of aisle on either side, this was one of the smallest churches in Nubia. It was also very much the best preserved, with most of its roof vaults still intact. Consequently its decorative program of 60 paintings was fully preserved, although all had been defaced in post-Christian times. They are by far the best source of information about late Nubian church art. The paintings were successfully conserved by a Yugoslav team in 1965; they are now in the National Museum in Khartoum.

Sources: Griffith 1928, 63-80; Monneret de Villard 1935, 214-217 and pls. 174-80; von Bissing 1937.

(Contributed by William Y. Adams.)