Dongola (Arabic: دنقلا‎, romanized: Dunqulā), also spelled Dunqulah, is the capital of the state of Northern Sudan, on the banks of the Nile, and a former Latin Catholic bishopric (14th century). It should not be confused with Old Dongola, an ancient city located 80 km upstream on the opposite bank.[1]

The word Dongola comes from the Nubian word “Doñqal” which means red brick,[2] as most buildings were made of bricks, thus provoking one of ancient Nubia’s biggest industries.[citation needed] A more modern use of the word is to describe a strong and hard bulwark,[clarification needed] that being so Dongola is often called “the Resident of a large Nile castle”.