Project: Under the wings of an Archangel: Conservation work of wall paintings in the Church of the Archangel Gabriel in Naqlun

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  • Principal Investigator: Dr. Robert Mahler

    Contact: r.mahler(at)uw.edu.pl

    Project collaborators:
    • Prof. Tytus Sawicki, supervisior of conservation works
    • Dr. Mahmoud Kassem, community engagement
    • Magdalena Skarżyńska, MA, field director of conservation works
    • Kamila Braulińska, MA, photographer
    • Cristobal Calaforra-Rzepka, MA, conservator
    • Adrian Chlebowski, MA, photogrammetry
    • Anna Kwiatkowska, MA, conservator
    • Aneta Rejmer-Komorowska, MA, conservator
    • Dawid Szymański, MA, conservator
    • Karolina Wicher, MA, conservator
    • Katarzyna Borej, conservator
    • Ida Małolepsza, conservator
    • Aleksandra Trocka,  conservator
    Funding:

    American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE), Antiquities Endowment Fund grant

    Project term:

    September 2024 – August 2025

    Budget:

    USD 84,984.24

  • Under the wings of an Archangel: Conservation work of wall paintings in the Church of the Archangel Gabriel in Naqlun

    Keywords: Naqlun, Church of the Archangel Gabriel, wall paintings, medieval monastery, Nekloni, Fayum, Egypt

    The Church of the Archangel Gabriel is located in Naqlun in the Fayum Oasis (Egypt) and is a part of a monastic foundation built around the 5th to 6th centuries. Archaeological research at the site began in 1986, on the initiative of Prof. Włodzimierz Godlewski. In 1990, during renovation work inside the three-nave basilica, paintings dating to the 8th and 11th centuries were discovered. The polychromes, which were hidden under layers of secondary plaster, are located on the north and south walls, in the narthex and in the sanctuary. In addition to their undoubted aesthetic value, they are a unique testimony to monastic activity at the site.

    The primary goal of the project is to conserve the paintings in the narthex of the church and to carry out preventive conservation on those sections of the paintings in the naos and sanctuary that require immediate attention. Comprehensive documentation of the wall paintings will be created, including photographs, descriptions, drawings, orthophotographs, and a damage map. Conservators will assess the condition of the paintings and identify the causes of damage to develop a detailed plan for conservation interventions and preventive care.

    In addition to the conservation efforts, the grant will support the development and implementation of community engagement programs, including meetings on conservation and archaeological topics. Their audiences will include monks, students of nearby schools, students of the University of Fayoum, and employees of the Egyptian Antiquities Service.

    Associated events:
    Lectures and conference presentations:
    Project bibliography:

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