There are many curiosities about the Nubians residing in Egypt, even though their culture is at risk of being lost to oblivion, absorbed by the rest of the country’s society, which is overwhelmingly Arab. But if you see your trip as a good opportunity to learn more about the little that remains (and resists) of the Nubian people, here we compile 9 curiosities that you will surely like to know… if you didn’t already know them.
#1. A dark skin color
Although in our times the tendency towards miscegenation and cosmopolitanism is breaking down ethnic and cultural boundaries, the Nubian people can be recognized by an obvious physical trait: their dark skin, an unequivocal sign of their southern origin, in the heart of the Sahara and in contact with sub-Saharan territories.
#2. A population dispersed between two countries
In fact, the Nubians not only have their “homeland” in southern Egypt, but also in Sudan. However, for Egyptian Nubians, that homeland is now almost ideal, as the territory that formed it was flooded by Lake Nasser, after the construction of the Aswan Dam. That is why hundreds of thousands of people, according to many estimates, were forced to move to Sudan but also to other parts of Egypt.
#3. Where are the Nubians now
Due to this dispersion, the main Nubian community is found in Aswan, where there is a museum and the two most symbolic villages: the one on Elephantine Island and Gharb Soheil. But they are much more numerous in Cairo, distributed unevenly, and also in small rural communities in the Nile Valley, as many of them are still farmers.
#4. One of the main ethnic minorities
It is difficult to quantify how many Nubians there are in Egypt today, but estimates range between 1 and 4 million, which would make them one of the main ethnic minorities in the country, along with the Bedouins, the Roma, and ahead of the Berbers of Siwa.
#5. A native language, falling into disuse?
The distinctive feature of any culture or ethnicity is its language. And the Nubians have their own, called Kenzi-Dongolawi, or simply the Nubian language, more generically. But it is a language that struggles to be recovered, as it has barely been reserved for the most private sphere of families. And even the new Nubian generations are opting for Arabic as their mother tongue for better integration into society.
#6. Rulers in Ancient Egypt
The Nubians’ past is glorious. So much so that they came to rule in Ancient Egypt. Specifically, the 25th Dynasty was Nubian, coming from the kingdom of Kush, a historical rival of the Egyptian pharaohs to whom they succumbed in the 8th century BC.
#7. Roman name and bastion of Christianity
The “heir” kingdom to Kush was Nobatia, according to the name given by the Romans and from which the current name of Nubia derives. It adopted Christianity and it was maintained by the successor kingdom, that of Dongola, where this religion was kept for a long time, until Islam was definitively accepted in the 14th century.
#8. A recognizable architecture
Although one cannot speak of a standardized Nubian style, the constructions of this people are usually easily recognizable by their tendency towards profusion of colors and humble materials, such as adobe and wood. In addition, many houses have roofs with small domes.
#9. Personal aesthetics of great richness
Curiously, that profusion of color in architecture is also transferred to the human body. Specifically through jewelry made of natural materials and goldsmithing, in necklaces, earrings, etc. But also through henna tattoos, for which Nubian women have a special gift.
