In Pracht gehüllt. Rekonstruktionen mittelalterlicher Gewänder aus Nubien

In the organizer's words:

The special presentation shows glamorous garments from medieval Nubia that express secular and religious prestige. The reconstructions are based on wall paintings from the cathedral of Faras. These are now in the collections of the National Museum in Warsaw and the Sudan National Museum in Khartoum. These magnificent loans enter into a dialog with selected textiles from the collections of the Museum of Byzantine Art and the Museum of Islamic Art.

The glamorous clothing in the wall paintings by Faras is particularly elegant and reveals its own symbolism. Initially based on the courtly costume of Byzantium, over the centuries their decoration has been mixed with African colors and motifs as well as Arabic influences to create a unique style of dress.

Elaborately reconstructed robes

Five robes for royal mothers, kings and a bishop named Marianos were painstakingly reconstructed on the basis of the paintings from Faras Cathedral and archaeological material. A research team from the University of Warsaw and the SWPS University has set itself the task of researching and reconstructing the magnificent garments of the Nubian royal family and the ecclesiastical dignitaries from the Cathedral of Faras.

Clothing, kingdom and church

As today, clothing and accessories were a form of non-verbal communication in medieval Nubia, the border region of modern-day southern Egypt and northern Sudan, with each element having its own meaning. The cathedral of Faras, which was excavated by Polish archaeologists in the 1960s, contained a large number of wall paintings. They depict, among others, the most influential official and ecclesiastical figures of the Nubian kingdom of Makuria. Christianity was introduced as a new faith in this region as early as the 6th century, starting from Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire. Makuria remained a Christian state until the 14th century. Many churches were built during this period, which were decorated with monumental images of members of the court and clergy. They were intended to demonstrate to the faithful the connection between the kingdom and the church.

From the Louvre to the Museum Island Berlin

Following an initial presentation in the Louvre in Paris, the vestments are now being exhibited in the Bode Museum together with selected textiles from the collections of the Museum of Byzantine Art and the Museum of Islamic Art, which are used to explain the various techniques and decorations used in late antiquity and the early Middle Ages. In addition, the exhibition documents the research results of a project investigating the relationship of authority between church and state in Nubia, while raising awareness of the current dramatic situation in Sudan and the threat to the country's rich cultural heritage.

UNESCO initiative to save the cultural heritage of Nubia

In the 1960s, the Egyptian government decided to build the Aswan High Dam. In order to research and save areas threatened by the flooding of the Nile, scientists from twenty-six countries took part in a UNESCO initiative to save the cultural heritage of Nubia. In this context, a Polish team led by Prof. Kazimierz Michałowski from the University of Warsaw researched the city of Faras, one of the medieval capitals of the Kingdom of Nobadia, which existed between the sixth and the end of the seventh century and extended over the area of present-day southern Egypt and northern Sudan. Faras then remained the capital of the northern province of the kingdom of Makuria until the 14th century. The discovery of a cathedral and a series of unique wall paintings was the beginning of numerous studies, which are still a focus of Polish research today. The National Museum in Warsaw houses a unique collection of Nubian art from the Middle Ages in the Faras Gallery.

Especially now, during the devastating civil war in Sudan, the research that has been carried out there for decades should remind the world that, along with the people of this country, its rich cultural heritage is also under serious threat. It is to be hoped that the international community will support the peace efforts in Sudan. #keepeyesonsudan

A special presentation of the Sculpture Collection and Museum of Byzantine Art - National Museums in Berlin in cooperation with the Polish Institute Berlin, the Faculty of Archaeology of the University of Warsaw and the Faculty of Design of the SWPS University of Warsaw

Price information:

Admission: EUR 12.00, concessions EUR 6.00. Free admission for children and young people up to and including the age of 18.