Nubian Museum
Nubian Museum Opened in 1997, the Nubian Museum is a belated but well-executed, tribute to the culture and influence of Nubia and the Nubian people on the history of Egypt. This ancient culture, every bit as old as that of Ancient Egypt, existed along the banks of the Nile for millennia in the areas we call southern Egypt and northern Sudan today. It was nearly destroyed by the construction of the High Dam, completely submerging the ancient heartland of Nubia, and forcing over 100,000 people to relocate.
The museum houses a collection of artifacts from the Nubia region, which tell the story of the development of civilization in the southern Nile Valley from prehistory all the way through the Pharaonic ages, the arrival of Christianity and Islam, and the construction of the dam in the 1960s. The plight of the Nubian people is a highly politicized issue. In the rush to develop the country in the 1950s and ’60s, the Egyptian government did not provide adequate compensation or sufficient planning to resettle the people
whose livelihoods are affected by projects like the High Dam. The preservation of Nubia’s cultural legacy was equally neglected. International organizations came in to move some of the most famous monuments in Nubia to high ground, like the Abu Simbel temples. Others were dismantled and shipped abroad as compensation for aiding in this effort. The Dendar Temple, which now stands in the New York Metropolitan Museum, is one such gifted Nubian monument. The Nubian Museum intended to help rectify this injustice. While
Nubian Museum
That may not be possible, especially since it still makes no mention of the consequences of the dam for the Nubian people, It was very effective at telling the story of the region and providing a glimpse of the culture that continues to exist here. Reconstructions of traditional Nubian houses with artwork salvaged from areas that are now underwater are particularly striking. The museum is near the Fatimid Cemetery, which is full of small mausoleums dating from the 9th century. Some of the tombs here belong to local saints
Nubian Museum
and they were decorated accordingly with flags and were often visited by local people seeking blessings. The cemetery stands next to the ancient granite quarry where the Unfinished Obelisk is located. At nearly 140 feet long, it would have been the largest obelisk ever carved by the ancient Egyptians. It completely finished on three sides but left attached to the bedrock when a flaw in the stone was discovered. Visit these two sites along with it make for a great day of activities, all located within a small area to minimize walking.
