Members from Polish missions working in Egypt and Sudan reported on their work during the past season. And as three days could easily be filled with all teams reporting on their fieldwork and research, you can imagine the number of Polish missions active in Egypt and Sudan!
We presented the project, focusing on the paintings with the representations of Egyptian hermits found in Faras cathedral. Among the 8th century paintings is Ammonios (or Amone) of Tuna (Tuna el-Gebel), while in the decorative programme of the 10th – 11th centuries, Bishop Psate (or Psote) of Ptolemais, Kaau, Onophrios and Aaron are represented. Up till now, these are the only representations of these saints in Nubia. There are some examples in Egypt as well as some textual evidence but apart from Onophrios, these hermits were not very well known. Why were they chosen for representation in a cathedral in Faras, which has no known ties to a monastic environment?
