The project “Under the Wings of an Archangel: Conservation of Wall Paintings in the Church of the Archangel Gabriel in Naqlun” has been awarded funding through the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE) Antiquities Endowment Fund (AEF). The grant will support one year of conservation work.
The project is led by Dr. Robert Mahler, head of the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology University of Warsaw (PCMA UW) expedition in Naqlun, with conservation efforts overseen by Prof. Tytus Sawicki from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw and Magdalena Skarżyńska from PCMA UW.
The Church of the Archangel Gabriel is located in Naqlun, within the Fayum Oasis in Egypt, and is part of a monastic foundation dating back to the 5th-6th centuries. Archaeological research at the site began in 1986, initiated by Prof. Włodzimierz Godlewski. In 1990, during renovation work inside the three-aisled basilica, wall paintings from the 8th and 11th centuries were discovered. These polychromes, hidden beneath layers of secondary plaster, are located on the north and south walls, in the narthex, and in the sanctuary. Beyond their aesthetic value, these paintings offer a unique testimony to monastic life at the site.
The primary aim of the project is to conserve the wall paintings in the church’s narthex and perform preventive conservation on areas in the naos and sanctuary that are in urgent need of attention. Comprehensive documentation of the paintings will be created, including photographs, descriptions, drawings, orthophotographs, and a damage map. The condition of the paintings will be assessed, and the causes of deterioration identified to develop a detailed plan for conservation interventions and preventive care.
In addition to conservation work, the project will foster community engagement through educational programs. Meetings on conservation and archaeology will be organized for local monks, students from nearby schools, students from the University of Fayoum, and employees of the Egyptian Antiquities Service.
Phot. Kamila Braulińska