Abu Nafisa fort is a ruin located on the left bank of the Nile, in Khartoum Province, Sudan. Built by the rulers of Alwa in the 2nd half of the 6th century AD, the fort was used for a short period. It features a quadrilateral layout with internal dimensions measuring 83x78 meters. In three corners, traces of bastions have survived as of 2018.
In the south-eastern corner, there was a much younger oval tomb of Sheikh Abu Nafisa, dated to the last centuries of the Funj Sultanate in the 18th-19th century. The site takes its name from this individual. Unlike the nearby Hosh el-Kab fort, which was built 500 meters away, Abu Nafisa was erected close enough to the river that high floods have damaged the architecture.
Currently, the areas surrounding the fort are cultivated and are periodically flooded. The last instance of the Nile reaching the walls took place in April 2019. Satellite imagery shows the site being underwater from time to time.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Mutabor
Discuss this with the author and others
No comments yet. Be the first to start the conversation.