Museum of Nubia

For Nubians, the museum represents official recognition of their identity, the essence of their history – now lost beneath the waters of Lake Nasser – and of their civilisation. The two architects, an Egyptian and a Mexican, have succeeded in creating one of the most beautiful museums in Egypt. The building is pleasant and spacious and the exhibition spaces inter-relate perfectly. The museum retraces the whole of Nubian civilisation from prehistoric times to today and displays certain objects rescued from the flooding when the great dam was built.
Just beyond the entrance is an interactive point in English and Arabic which shows the layout of the museum. On the right, a fairly sombre room is devoted to temporary exhibitions. On the lower ground floor, a large model illustrates Nubia’s geographical location. Behind it, a colossal statue of Ramesses II greets visitors, an eternal smile playing on his lips. Beginning the museum visit on the left, visitors pass through prehistory – magnificent animal carvings, pottery, jewels and tools – to antiquity. The Kingdom of Kush first appeared in Upper Nubia during the Old Kingdom. It was annexed by Egypt in the reign of Thutmose I then reappeared after the fall of the New Kingdom. For a time, the capital of Kush was established at Meroe, part of present-day Sudan. The exhibits demonstrate the Nubian kingdom’s prosperity. The next two rooms deal with the conversion of Nubia to Christianity and Islam. Large informative panels describe the rescuing of Nubian temples by Unseco. Finally, an entire section of the museum is devoted to contemporary civilisation in the form of reconstructions of houses, a schoolyard, wedding ceremony and farm labouring. It is worth mentioning too the beautiful open-air museum on several levels featuring reconstructions of a prehistoric cave and Islamic tombs.