Photo Diary: An Extraordinary Peek at Life in Nuba
Nubia, or what we in Egypt call Nuba. What shall I say about Nuba? The best place I’ve ever been? First, let me tell you a little about it.
The ancient Nubian kingdom lived in parallel with Ancient Egypt. Egyptians conquered Nuba and Nubians conquered Egypt multiple times, but not “conquering” in the sense of the modern world; the two cultures seamlessly molded into each other and, eventually, became one. Until now, history doesn’t exactly know if Hashtipsut was Nubian or Egyptian; they had the same army and lifestyle and they lived in peace throughout history.
The Nubians of today still speak two languages from two different origins, one called Kenzy, the other Fejekawy. Not only did they conserve their traditions and culture, but Nubians also withstood very tough times peacefully.
At first I thought Nuba was a city on its own, but it’s not, the main city is actually Aswan.
After the building of the high dam, their lands either drowned or dried and they had to move. Some went to Sudan, others went north to Kumombo and some stayed. They adapted, they survived and they accepted. They are convinced that the Aswan Dam is for a better Egypt and they are proud of it.
Enough of history – in my opinion, this is the best place you can ever go to. Full stop. There are several Nubian villages in Aswan that depend on tourism and agriculture.
A serene view on the banks of the Nile…
A touch of unparalleled nature with clean waters…
Massive culture and history…
Beautiful colors all around…
Cheap, cheap, cheap prices – you can eat the best meals for less than $10…
But that’s not what Nuba is all about. It’s about the people.
Nubians seem to be from another world, another time. They are known for their extreme kindness, hospitality, generosity, simplicity and fun.
In Nubian villages, houses are spacious and you can enter any home, drink tea and have a lovely conversation with its inhabitants. They will refuse to take money.
There is nothing called robbery there, people leave their cars unlocked.
Time there is also calculated differently. For people in Nuba, time is measured by its quality. When they meet a person, they actually meet him. They sit and talk and spend quality time together.
Our modern life is concerned with efficiency and trying to do more things in the same period of time, but that’s not the nature of living, it’s the nature of money making. In Nuba, you will feel peace and calm like you have never felt before.
All pictures were taken with a Fuji X-T1. For the full photo set, go to my website.
WE SAID THIS: Don’t miss Photo Diary: Inside Egypt’s Wadi Gimal National Park.
