Nubian Museum History
The Nubian Museum, which opened in 1997, is a late but well-executed monument to the culture and influence of Nubia and the Nubian people on Egyptian history. on the other hand, this ancient society; which predates Ancient Egypt, thrived for millennia along the Nile’s banks in what is now known as southern Egypt and northern Sudan.
The construction of the High Dam nearly devastated it; severely sinking Nubia’s ancient heartland and forcing over 100,000 people to migrate. The museum displays a collection of items from Nubia that chronicle the evolution of civilization in the southern Nile Valley from prehistory to the pharaonic era; in addition, the entrance of Christianity and Islam; and the building of the dam in the 1960s.
The Nubia people’s predicament is a highly politicized subject. The Egyptian government did not give adequate compensation or proper planning to relocate the people whose livelihoods were damaged by projects like the High Dam in its drive to modernize the country in the 1950s and 1960s.
The preservation of Nubia’s cultural heritage was also overlooked. International groups were brought in to move some of Nubia’s most famous structures, such as the Abu Simbel temples, to higher ground. Others were dismantled and shipped overseas as payment for their assistance. One such gifted Nubian structure is the Dendera Temple, which is now housed in the New York Metropolitan Museum.
Construction
Also, The Nubian Museum was created to help correct this wrongdoing. While that may not be practical, especially given that it still makes no mention of the dam’s effects on the Nubian people; it is quite good in describing the region’s story and giving a taste of the culture that still exists here. Traditional Nubian dwellings reconstructed with artwork saved from now-underwater locations are particularly impressive.
The Fatimid Cemetery, which is full of modest mausoleums dating from the 9th century; is next to the museum. Some of the tombs here belong to local saints, and they are routinely visited by locals seeking favors and are decorated accordingly with flags. The cemetery is located near to the Unfinished Obelisk; which is housed in an ancient granite quarry. With a length of nearly 140 feet.
It would have been the ancient Egyptians’ greatest obelisk ever sculpted. When a fault in the stone was detected, it was completed on three sides but left linked to the bedrock. These two locations, combined with the Nubian Museum; make for a fantastic day of activities; all of which are contained within a short area to reduce walking.