The Sudan Heritage Online Workshop, organized within the Irkoni: Safeguarding Earthen Architecture in Sikoot project, has successfully concluded. The initiative was carried out with the support of Sudan’s National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums (NCAM) and funded by the ALIPH Foundation.
Coordinated by Tomomi Fushiya, Head of the Department of Conservation and Heritage at the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, University of Warsaw (PCMA UW) and Project Manager of the Irkoni project, the workshop was held online on 11–14 May 2026. It brought together Sudanese students and early-career professionals in archaeology, conservation, architecture, and related fields. The program focused on heritage documentation, conservation principles, digital tools, heritage risk preparedness, and professional development.
The workshop was opened by the PCMA UW director, Artur Obłuski, followed by the General Director of NCAM, Ghalia Garelnabi, and the ALIPH Project Manager, Adonis elHussein. The four-day program combined lectures, practical sessions, discussions, and case studies led by specialists from PCMA UW and other institutions. Among the lecturers and instructors were Adrian Chlebowski, Maria Czarnecka, Lorenzo de Lellis, Mariusz Drzewiecki, Magdalena Skarżyńska, and Tomomi Fushiya from PCMA UW, alongside invited specialists including Sebastian Moriset (CRATerre), Julien Cooper (Macquarie University), Tohamy Ablgashim (University of Cambridge), and representatives of NCAM: Abdelmagid Mahmoud Abdelrahaman, Mahmoud Suliman and Elmontser D. M. E. Elmoubark.
Over the course of the workshop, participants took part in sessions on conservation principles and risk assessment, site and architectural documentation, digital mapping and GIS, photogrammetry, climate risk preparedness, and heritage project management. Case studies from Sudanese archaeological and World Heritage sites formed an important part of the program, grounding the discussions in current heritage challenges facing the region.
The workshop featured active participation and lively discussions throughout the program. Of the 23 registered participants, nearly all attended the full workshop, while an additional 26 observers from Sudan and abroad joined selected sessions and contributed to discussions. The attendance of the registered participants was an impressive 89% or more!
Participants particularly valued the multidisciplinary character of the workshop, emphasizing both the acquisition of new practical skills and knowledge, as well as the opportunity to strengthen their engagement in safeguarding Sudanese heritage.
Special thanks are also extended to the Jebel Barkal Visitor Center and the Northern State Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in Dongola for providing internet access and spaces that enabled participants in Sudan to join the sessions. Gratitude is also extended to the instructors who have agreed to the publication of workshop recordings on the PCMA UW YouTube channel.
