T HE WORD N " UBA" The word Nubia is used as an expression that describes a certain group of people living around the Valley of the Nile. Many scientists and scholars have disagreed upon the origin of the word Nubia and they also had long debates concerning the origin of the language that the people of Nubia speak. However, they all agree that different Nubian tribes speak various languages according to their origins. The old origin of the word is derived from the word “Nub” which means gold, therefore the ancient Egyptians used to call this section of the Nile Valley the land of gold. The reason behind this is that the area was famous for gold mines and this resulted in much immigration to the Nubia and many conquests of this valuable piece of land throughout the Egyptian history. The Name “Nubia” came into use in the Roman period. The origin of the name Nubia is obscure. Some have linked it to nwb, the ancient Egyptian word for gold. Others connect it with the term Noubades, the Greek name for people who moved into northern Nubia sometime in the 4th century AD. However, for much of antiquity, the region south of the 1st cataract of the Nile was called “Kush.” The name is known from ancient Egyptian, classical, and biblical texts. Whether it reflects an indigenous term is not known. The Kushites developed powerful kingdoms. The first was centered at Kerma (2000–1650 BC). The later kingdom had capitals at Napata (800– 270 BC) and Meroe (270 BC–370 AD). Some Nubian cultures are known by archaeological names: A-Group, C-Group, X-Group, and Kerma (the name of a modern town near the archaeological site of the early Kushite kingdom) are names archaeologists assigned to cultures they excavated in Nubia.
THE LOCATION OF NUBA
Nubia, as mentioned before, is a section of the River Nile Valley, from the first waterfalls to the forth waterfalls. Generally, Nubia is divided into two sections: The upper Nubia which is located for 320 kilometers from North to South inside the Egyptian borders until the second waterfalls in Wadi Halfa and the lower Nubia which is located inside the Sudanese borders.
NUBIAN PEOPLE The area of Aswan and its surroundings was the northernmost part of a country known as Nubia in ancient times. Aswan is a city that witnessed many civilizations come and go since prehistoric times. It has however preserved its original traditional heritage. Aswan has a mixed and diverse population with a distinct Nubian culture. It has therefore an African atmosphere which is different from the rest of Egypt.
The pace of life is slow and relaxing. To get a real taste of this ancient and rich culture, visit Nubia Museum and a number of Nubian villages in and around Aswan, often very picturesque and worth visiting. You can also stay overnight in one of the Nubian houses. It’s a memorable experience!
Nubians are friendly and hospitable. They often invite you to their homes for a cup of tea or “Karkade”, a drink made of hibiscus flowers. Many would happily show you their handicrafts. They sometimes invite you to taste their unique “Shamsi” bread which has a special baking technique. The bakers, usually the women of the village, let the dough rise in the sun before baking it. Some connoisseurs claim that the “Shamsi” bread is one of the best kinds of bread in the world.
Nubians live in houses painted with bright colors. Traditionally, the floor was made of sand and not all the rooms were roofed. Protection against rain is not a priority since Aswan is one of the driest places in the world. Nubian villages are found in and around Aswan. A couple of them are located only 150 meters from the corniche on Elephantine Island in Aswan archipelago. The island can be reached by felucca or by a public ferry. Other interesting villages are located on the west bank of the Nile and can be reached by boats or cars. A famous one is “Gharb Sehel� which is located near the old dam south of the archipelago on the west bank. Many Nubians used to live in the Nile Valley, south of Aswan. However, the artificial Lake Nasser created by the construction of the high dam flooded many Nubian villages.
As a result, more than 100,000 Nubian inhabitants of the area were relocated to villages north of Aswan and around Kom Ombo. If you are interested to learn more about the Nubian people and their history and culture, then a visit to Nubia Museum, located close to the Old Ctaract hotel, is a MUST.
Nubians Lived in the Central Nile Valley African people from what is now the Sahara began to move toward the Nile in Nubia by around 5000 BC. They brought with them the art of making pottery. Originally herdsmen and hunters of large animals, they eventually became fishermen and farmers. Over time, new people moved into the region from the south, so that Nubia’s population was often a diverse mix of African peoples.
The River Was a Lifeline Many Nubians lived along the Nile which curved northward through the desert. Farmers grew grains, peas, lentils, dates, and possibly melons. But especially important were their herds of cattle, a measure of wealth and social status. In the deserts, Nubians mined carnelian and gold, as well as other mineral resources. Bartering cattle, gold, carnelian, ivory, animal skins, hardwood, incense, and dates, Nubians traded with the Egyptians, their neighbors to the north, for grain, vegetable oils, wine, beer, linen, and other manufactured goods.
Archaeology and History Reveal Nubia Most information about ancient Nubia comes from archaeological excavation and from the study of monuments and rock art found there. But the art and writing of Nubians and of peoples contemporary with them also give important evidence. Records of ancient Egypt tell much about the history of Nubia, documenting a long and complex relationship between the two lands. Monuments and texts in the Egyptian language left by the Nubian kings, who became pharaohs of Egypt’s
25th Dynasty around 750 BC, also provide an extensive record. Nubians developed alphabetic writing systems around 200 BC during the Meroitic period. The Meroitic language is still not understood well enough to read more than words and phrases, but much documentation on Meroitic Nubia can be found in the art and literature of Greece and Rome, whose empires touched on the borders of Nubia after 330 BC.
d l u o h S u o Y s d n Isla
t i s i V o t Try
Seheil
This island is a monument in its own right. Most of the Pharaonic kings that ruled Egypt passed by Seheil to register their arrival and their family. You will find their writings engraved on most of the big rocks of the mountains in Seheil. You can also go hiking to see the view of the Nuba from the mountain top, and boy it is pretty much worth the extra effort! There is a very famous rock in Seheil where the story of Prophet Youssef, who ruled Egypt, is engraved.
You cannot go to Aswan, and miss Philae. It is by far one of the best temples all over Egypt, and maybe the world. Located on an island of its own, Philae’s story is very interesting. It even has a story in modern history. The temple was moved from its original island after it sank under the Nile. This great operation took about 10 years, funded by the UNESCO and carried out by Egyptian hands. The Crusaders visited this temple, and you can see the Cross engraved on many walls in the temple, it was also visited by Napoleon and his men. Heissa is called bein el sodoud or “between dams”. It is very close to Philae and so they can both be combined in a day trip. People there are exceptionally warm hearted, just as the breathtaking view of the Nile from Heissa is. You will be directed to hagga Safeya house for lunch or tea. Everything about Heissa is magical, including the food!
Heissa and Philae Temple
Barbar
This is beauty and relaxation day. Barbar has a natural beach on the Nile where you can actually swim! The best combination is trying their amazing natural mud mask all over your body and then bathing in the Nile. On the other side of the Island there is a small Nubian style lounge where you can have tea, or their signature coffee with ginger, and lunch. Barbar also boasts breathtaking views of the Nile.
Here is a quick guide to the
NubianLanguage
Er Minebu
How are you?
Essi
Water
Kal
Food
Ecadolli
I love you
Ermena
It is none of your business
I orekboury
I am hungry
NUBA’S LOST MOUMENTS
As a consequence of the construction of the Aswan Dam and the phases of increasing the height of the dam, the Nasser Lake was formed on the lands of Old Nubia. This urged UNESCO to start its long projects of relocating many Pharonic monuments like
the Temple of Abu Simble and the Temple of Philae. However, despite the efforts exerted by UNESCO and the Egyptian government, some monuments were forever lost.
NUBIAN TRADITIONS The Nubians are believed to be the first human race on earth, and most of their customs and traditions were adopted by the ancient Egyptians. To the Greeks, they were known as Ethiopians and Nubia as the land of Punts, i.e. the land of gods. A Nubian has been always renowned for his sheer honesty. He is an artist by nature and his lucky number was always seven. He holds the nine as a sacred object and wishes to stay on the Nile bank throughout his life. A Nubian often prefers to marry one of his or her cousins. A Nubian wedding ceremony often lasts for 40 days, with a long series of rituals. According to traditions, the groom has to present several gifts, particularly garments for the bride, her mother and sisters. These presents are boarded on a camel and adorned with decorations such as colorful silk fabrics and jewelry. During the wedding ceremony the groom is welldressed, holding a sword and a whip. The social status of a Nubian is judged by the wealth of land and waterwheels he owns, as well as his noble descent. Performance of prayers, for a Nubian, is an evidence to his vividness and an object of pride to his tribe. It is further evidence that he is not a charlatan or a slave. A Nubian who doesn’t perform his prayers, is punishable by public disdain and banishment away from the tribe.
N A I B U AN N A WOM Normally bears a loads of jewelry, all over her body. Around the neck, she carries two lines of necklaces, topped by two lines of jewelry, bearing the Divine Name of Allah. On the forehead, there is a piece of jewelry showing a Quranic verse, with a large pair of earrings dangling from the top part of both ears, a second pair from the lower part and a third in between. The ankle is adorned with a silver anklet and her fingers with silver rings.
A Nubian woman adorns herself also with tattoos, normally shaped like a mole on the cheek, a crescent on the forehead or a line drawn from the lip down to the chin or by coloring the nether lip. The Nubian woman is known for her remarkable use of henna ad perfumes.
THE NUBIAN TRIBES AND COMMUNITIES
There are three major tribes in Nubia: the Arab, Al Kenouz, and Fadetgda. The Arabs: The inhabitants belonging to the Arabs tribe live in the middle of Nubia and they speak the Arabic language. They live in villages like Wadi Al Arab, Senqari, Al Malky, and Shatrama. This is in addition to the old Arab tribes that immigrated to the Nubia, mingled with the people there, and spread Islam among the locals, like Bano Rabei’a
and Juhayna. The Fadetgda: they live in the Southern section of the Nubia and they speak the old Nubian language which is spoken but not written. They also have a special accent that differ from any other Nubians. The Kenouz: they live in Northern Nubia, mainly in Egypt and they speak the Kenzeya Language. This tribe is divided into two groups: Awalad Wanas and the other is called Al Ashraf.
NUBIAN
MUSIC
NUBIAN
MUSIC
When the Nubians had to leave their original habitat by the creation of Lake Nasser, it was feared that the Nubian culture would disappear. Certainly what the music culture is concerned, those dire predictions did not materialize. On the contrary, Nubian music is very popular in Egypt and elsewhere, partly because many songs are performed in Arabic (with a Nubian accent). Nubian music was also an important source of influence of the blues before. Nubian music new style has a growing number of fans, not only inside but also outside the Nubian community. The Nubians also have their own dance styles, which is transferred from generation to generation (in weddings e.g.). Many tourists acquainted with performances by Nubian folklore groups on cruise ships and in hotels.
Hamza El Din
Hamza El Din, the celebrated Nubian musician whose rich fusion of Arabic and Nubian sounds entranced audiences worldwide and i n spired colleagues like the Grateful Dead and Kronos Quartet, died Monday, May 22nd, at a Berkeley hospital from a gallbladder infection. He was 76. A longtime Oakland resident, Mr. El Din was a subtle master of the oud, the Arabic precursor of the lute, and the tar, the single-skinned drum that originated in Nubia, the ancient upper Nile land that was largely submerged after the Aswan Dam was built in the 1960s. Mr. El Din sought to preserve his native culture, singing Nubian songs and stories in a warm, reedy voice that merged with his instrumental overtones to create music of quiet intensity and beauty. “It was mesmerizing. Hypnotic and trancelike,’’ said Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart. “Hamza taught me about the romancing of the drum. His music was very subtle and multilayered. “He was a deep listener,’’ added Hart, who practiced daily for six years to master the tar Mr. El Din gave him. Sometimes the music they played together was so soft “we could hardly hear ourselves. He’d just suck you into this vortex, and all of a sudden what was quiet seemed loud in its intensity. He suspended time.’’ Mr. El Din, who created music for “The Black Stallion” and other films, first played with the Dead in ‘78 at Egypt’s Great Pyramid of Giza and joined the band a few months later at San Francisco’s Winterland with a group of Sufi drummers. He was a serenely joyous man whose glowing black face was framed by his flowing white garb and headdress. “He was sweet, gentle soul,’’ said Hart, who recalled that night at Winterland when Mr. El Din had the whole crowd clapping the 12-beat rhythm of the Nubian number “Olin Arageed.’’ “If you took the time to visit his sonic universe, he’d welcome you with open arms. It was a joyous experience. Jerry (Garcia) just loved to play with him.’’ So did Joan Jeanrenaud, the cellist who first met Mr. El Din in the 1980s when she was a member of the Kronos Quartet. It was in Tokyo, where he was living and teaching at the time. He played his signature composition “Escalay: The Water Wheel’’ for the group. “It was a heart-touching experience,’’ said Jeanrenaud, who played with Mr. El Din many times, as a member of Kronos -- which featured “Escalay’’ on its hit 1992 recording “Pieces of Africa’’ -- on Mr. El Din’s discs and on her own.
“He put himself into the music so completely that when he played, it would take you away to another place. You went on a journey to this very peaceful, emotional, beautiful place. He was a mentor to many of us.’’
Born in Toskha, Nubia, in Egypt, Mr. El Din began playing oud while studying engineering at the University of Cairo. He also studied at the King Fouad Institute of Middle Eastern Music. Learning of plans to build the Aswan Dam, he quit his engineering job in Cairo and set off to preserve Nubian music before the people were dispersed. With his oud, an instrument unknown in Nubia, he traveled from village to village by donkey, gathering songs. He was playing in traditional Arabic style; it wasn’t until his music acquired
a distinctly Nubian flavor that it caught on. He had studied Western music at the Academy of Santa Celia in Rome, expanding his sense of harmony and musical form. After moving to the United States, he taught at various universities and then settled in the Bay Area. At Mills College, he met the esteemed composer Terry Riley, who learned something about understatement from a comment Mr. El Din made to him about singing softly.
“One day I felt the oud had a Nubian accent,’’ Mr. El Din told The Chronicle in 1995. “I played for people in my village and they were mesmerized. I knew I had something.’’
“Through very simple means, Hamza could create a spell on an audience. His music spoke directly to the heart,’’ said Riley, whose groundbreaking minimalist music has some of the same hypnotic quality. “Audiences leaned in toward his music,” he said. “It wasn’t in their faces.’’
Riley introduced Mr. El Din to Kronos. “He opened doors for a lot of people, doors between different forms of music,’’ said Kronos violinist and founder David Harrington. “We lost a great musician and a great man.’’ Mr. El Din is survived by his wife, Nabra, of Oakland.
Marriage and Having Children
Although paying for the costs of marriage is the responsibility of the parents, the uncle and the maternal uncle also participate in taking part of this responsibility. This is because the kinship system among Nubians that combines the relatives of both sides, the side of the man and the side of the woman, are both equal in responsibilities and duties. The same as Bedouins, a man usually marries his cousin and if he does so, the dowry he pays is usually much less than the dowry he pays if he marries someone else. The dowry also varies a lot from one family to the other and from one tribe to the other. The Nubians make sure they offer the families of the bride and the groom a lot of gifts as an expression of their love, respect, and support to the family in paying for the expensive costs of marriage and the marriage ceremony. This is a custom that most Egyptians still do until today. Due to the fact that the River Nile is a central element in the Nubian culture, the bride and the groom have to go to the Nile in their marriage night and wash up with the river’s waters in order to bring them good fortunes and a lot of children.
e g a i r s r a m M o t s u C The groom has to arrange for finding a house to get married in and also has to buy all the furniture and apparatuses they might need. In the period before the marriage ceremony, a lot of cows and sheep have to be slaughtered at both houses of the two families to offer to the guests during the marriage ceremony and to give to the poor people of the tribe as well. If a funeral takes place seven days before
the marriage ceremony, both the groom and the bride have to attend the ceremony under any circumstances. If a marriage parade passes by any of the houses of the groom or the bride, both of them have to go and walk into this parade until they reach the house of the newly married couple. However, they are not allowed to enter the house so the bride sends a young girl into the house wearing a small necklace as an expression of participating in the joy of the other marriage.
A Nubian wedding
We took a truck to the absolute end of the village of West Aswan after leaving the house at around dusk. Our task would be to return to the house by foot, only after knocking tirelessly on the doors of the neighbours and friends of the groom’s family, inviting them to attend the approaching wedding day. Last May a friend asked me to photograph his nephew’s wedding while documenting Nubian wedding traditions in West Aswan. So on this night, I went with the groom’s sister and her friends to dozens of homes to remind the village of the wedding date and ensure that
an ample number of guests would make their appearance. As we passed through the high and colourful arched entrances that characterise traditional Nubian architecture and into the wide-open courtyards furnished with smooth sand, we quickly greeted, chatted and laughed with each family and encouraged them to attend the upcoming nuptials. We then would exit through the backdoor, entering directly into another neighbour’s house only to repeat this swift and cyclical greeting process again and again.
In West Aswan an entrance to one house often is an exit for another; the unique design of many traditional Nubian homes reflects the communal nature of the village. For visitors and newcomers alike, it can easily feel as if they are in a labyrinth. We were not the first to make the trek around the village or go through these mazes of households. The bride had preceded us weeks earlier, as it is custom for both the bride and the groom to personally invite the guests. “The groom usually takes his car and goes with his friends around the village to invite the people,” said Karima Seyam, a specialist in Nubian traditions who lives in Cairo. She explained that in the past people may have even taken small presents and perfumes to the invitees’ houses to help persuade as many as possible to attend. Though traditional Nubian weddings may last well over a week, now the most significant celebrations happen primarily during two days: the henna (pre-wedding party) day and the marriage day. “Every Nubian village has their own tradition. One village may have three nights another one has two nights,”
said Fatma Serag, whose family comes from Alalaki, Aswan. “But in the past the wedding festival could take up to seven days.” Serag explained that many of these changes can most likely be attributed to the fact that the groom’s or the bride’s family does not earn enough money for a seven day festival anymore, something which not only affects the length of the wedding celebrations but also the amount of gifts that are exchanged. This change in tradition is a reflection of the general situation in Aswan, which, like many places outside of the capital, faces underdevelopment and is doubly burdened by the deteriorating economic state of the country. Despite this, however, a wedding celebration remains an important aspect of life and culture that many people are invested in continuing.
The next day, the celebrations began early and I was whisked away to several locations as the festivity spread from house to house
Male friends and relatives of the bride and groom go to the bride’s house first and to play the tabla, a traditional handheld drum, and sing. Similarly, female relatives and friends sing and dance at the groom’s house. The processions finally culminated at the groom’s house where they join in a meeting of rhythm and joy as the groom entered with his friends. “Arees bastabu ya wa hed!” a symphony of voices sang to him in a perfect combination of cadence and verve. Serag laughed when I asked what these words, which combine Arabic and Nubian, mean. She explained it is a traditional greeting used by all Nubians, regardless of tribe or language, to express joy. “We say this when the groom enters the party. It is song to begin the festival,” she said. The arrival of dusk also saw food brought out on platters by men in long white galabeyas. Henna day almost always ends with dancing and this wedding was no different. A local wedding DJ and musical troupe were hired to provide music for the children’s dance outside the groom’s front yard. Later, a cow was ceremoniously slaughtered and prepared for tomorrow’s feast.
HENNA DAY Despite the previous night’s dancing, the morning of the wedding day started extremely early. It was well before sunrise and half the courtyard was already transformed into a makeshift kitchen where last night’s slaughter was being cooked. On this day the preparation of the food was a joint endeavour; the men cooked the meat and filled pastries, while the women cut vegetables and prepared the serving platters. The younger ones took the arduous chore of entertaining those hard at work with music, lots of drums and naughty jokes. As darkness approached the families separated and headed to the hairdresser’s to perfect their transformations. The groom’s sister and friends adorned themselves in gleaming and shimmering dresses as they powdered themselves, while the groom and his friends prepped elsewhere. After stopping at the portrait studio for a quick photo session with the bride and groom, and a minor dance party in the street in between, we returned to the village where the guests had already been fed and an eight-hour concert was just beginning.
While most other weddings end their concerts at midnight, at Nubian weddings in Aswan, midnight is exactly when the wedding really began. Although women and men often dance in separate spaces, with the men in front and closer to the stage, it is not uncommon to see female and male relatives dance together.
HENNA DAY
And everyone participated, the young, the old, men and women. No one in attendance seemed to know the definition of getting tired; the dancing lasted until 8am, well after the sun had risen. As the numbers dwindled the music finally ended. A breakfast of tea with milk served with biscuits for those who were still awake enough to eat; but many were already deep asleep at their neighbours’ or relatives’ houses.
Throughout the entire visit, everyone I spoke to insisted on the importance of preserving traditions, culture and language. As members of one of the oldest civilisations in Africa and the Nile Valley, Nubians take great pride in their heritage; there is a vitality and endurance that has sustained the people of Nubia for millennia, which allows them to recreate the traditions of the past while simultaneously reinventing and adjusting them to ensure they will always be part of their future.
Giving birth to a new born baby, the “Sebou’ “ When the married couple has a new born baby, they have to celebrate this in a habit called the “Sebou’ “. The parents of the new born baby have to slaughter some sheep and gather the family members to choose a name for the baby. If the new born baby is a girl, the celebrations consist of inviting the friends and the relatives, going to the Nile, and choosing the name for the new born baby.
MARRIAGE PROBLEM FOR INTELLECTUAL EDUCATED NUBIAN
Due to the Geographical isolation of Nubia and other habitual and traditional beliefs, the Nubian girl has to marry a man from her own tribe and not from any other Nubian tribe. In the beginning, the girl had to marry a man from the same family and afterwards the custom was modified allowing the girl to marry a man who is not a member of her family but has to belong to her tribe. For example, it is prohibited for a Nubian girl belonging to the Fategada tribe to marry a man from the Kenouz tribe. On the other hand, the Nubian man can marry any girl he likes even if she is not from his tribe or from Nubia as a whole. Nowadays, the girl is free to marry who ever she wishes.
This norm is generally is spread in Upper Egypt, where the women belonging to a tribe are prohibited to marry men from other tribes. However, this norm started generally declining because of the development of the community, the openness to the outer world and the increase of the level of education. Early marriage One of the habits of the Nubians is to get married in a very early age as Nubian men get married between the age of 18 to 22 and the Nubian girls get married between the age of 15 and 20 years old.
Traditional Nubian Houses A traditional Nubian house would consist of a backyard, a sleeping room that is topped with a dome, a storage room, a kitchen and a bathroom. Of course all these elements differ from one family to the other, adding more rooms or decreasing the number of rooms, according to the wealth of each family. The Nubian art, its connotations, and its symbols. Many people
love watching Nubian dances and different styles of art. However, only a few number of people know the meanings and connotations of this art.
The Nubian art reflects the unique characteristics of the Nubian cultures. This includes symbols representing peoples’ beliefs and habits. This appears clearly in the drawings and decorations of the walls of the houses and its entrances. It is apparent as well in the beads ornaments, necklaces, pottery, and dishes’ decorations. The sword for the Nubian represents championship and bravery. The crescent and the star, which are Islamic symbols, reflect optimism the same as the black cat that represents optimism and joy in contradiction to the
majority of cultures all around the world who thinks that a black cat is always a bad omen. On the other hand destruction and bad luck is represented by the crow and the owl for the Nubians, while flowers and roses represent love and friendship. Drawing a pitcher and a praying carpet symbolize purity for the Nubian people.
the very south of Aswan, right along the border with Sudan, lies a land of secrets; a land that bears the charm of the past with a slight modern touch. A land whose people are a constant reminder of legend of the past, stories of our ancestors, their traditions, their modest lives and their welcoming hearts. A land that will enchant you and intrigue you at the same time. This is El Nuba (Nubia).
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