Nadia Ahmed Mohamed

The Site of Nubia

Nubia is the region that located in today at the South Egypt and the North of Sudan.
Egyptian Nubia lay between the First Cataract at Aswan and the second one at Halfa.
Historically Nubia has been a nucleus of diverse cultures.1 In 1964, after construction
The High Dam at Aswan, the Nubian people were resettled in new communities at the
north of Aswan near Kom Ombo. Because of flooded water backed up after building The
High Dam, all Nubian villages were submerged under the lake known as Naser Lake.
Except a few of Nubian villages were survived because it lay far from the submerged
area, these villages still now having the traditional style, it remains without much
changes, keeping much of its folk tradition that was in old villages. They speak the
Nubian language as well as Arabic 2

The Cultural characteristics of Nubian

people

Cultural Differences manifest themselves in different

ways and differing levels of depth. Symbols represent
the most superficial and value the deepest one, with
heroes and rituals in between.

Symbols
Nubian people used the symbols to express their
believes and traditions, these symbols were
translated especially in Mural painting and house
decorations. For example they believe in evil eye, so
they hanged the plats, animals on walls or draw
hand, eye or text to prevent this eye. Every unit of
the drawings and decoration is a symbol of belief.
The Nubians use white colour to symbolize their
purity and transparency, and blue, to symbolize the
River Nile, and these two colours are the most
popular colours used in the life of the Nubians.

Rituals

Nubians have a distinguished rituals especially the

wedding rituals which lasts for many days, all
people in village invited to wedding ceremony, they
help each others and share responsibilities all days
of ceremony.
The River Nile played a great role in the Nubian
life, most of their social ritual connected with it, like
the weddings ceremonies.

Values

In the Nubians life, the Value considers a great and

a hidden motive of their traditions, believes,
customs and folklore. The most noticeable values
are belonging to the family, faith, hospitality and
collaboration. 3
Finally, we can conclude that the Nubian
community characterized by purity, sociality,
Hospitality, having the ability to adapt with
1

www: touregypt.com
Nadia Ahmed , The architecture and folklore, A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Engineering , Cairo
University,2007
3
Nadia Ahmed, Previous Ref.
2

any kind of environment. And still keeping the

most of their old traditions and values.