Some notes on the Christian medieval heritage of the Gezira (central Sudan)

Abstract

The kingdom of Alwa, located in what is now Sudan, was a Nubian state on the southern outskirts of medieval Christendom. Despite its existence for almost a millennium, virtually nothing is known about its history, culture and administration. Focusing on the Gezira between the White and Blue Nile and the eastern shores of the latter, this article considers archaeology, medieval geographers and especially accounts from the 18th through the early 20th centuries to discuss towns and churches, Christianity and the impact of Alwa’s legendary capital Soba on the memory of the Sudanese people. The author hopes to provide a useful introduction, inspiring further research on this enigmatic kingdom.