Nubian museum

 In November 1997, the long-awaited Nubia Museum opened in Aswan. It has been worth the wait as it displays thousands of antiquities that would have been lost under the waters of Lake Nasser had not a major international effort salavaged them during the 1960s and '70s. Also among the highlights are scenes of Nubian life demonstrated with a range of life-size displays

The museum is built on a hill on the road heading south from Aswan before the turnoff to the Unfinished Obelisk. The facility sits amid gardens that feature antiquities, a waterway representing the River Nile, a cave fitted out with pre-historic wall carvings, and a Nubian house.
Since February, 1981, a number of symposiums and seminars was held for contribution to this great project. It was the first time in the history of the (USECO) to decide launching an international campaign to establish local museum. This, however, could be ascribed to the magnificent monumental treasures Egypt has.On February 4 th, 1986, the foundation stone of the museum of Nubia was laid down, playing new effective role that was derived from the spring of culture and civilization at both home and international levels. To the Egyptians, the museum is to display life over centuries. As for foreign visitors, the museum will show the history of such unique area, as a source of knowledge for researchers from around the globe.The International Museum of Nubia is located in Aswan on an area of 50,000 square meters, 7000 of which are excluded to building, while the rest designed to be the yard of the museum.The building has three floors for displaying and housing, in addition to a library and information center. The largest part of the museum is occupied by the monumental pieces, reflecting phases of the development of the Nubian culture and civilization.Three thousands pieces of antiq., representing various ages; Geological, Pharaonic, Roman, Coptic and Islamic, were registered. The open-door exhibition includes 90 rare monumental pieces, while the internal halls contain 50 invaluable pieces dating back to the pre-history times, 503 pieces belong to Pharaonic time, 52 of Coptic era, 103 of Islamic age, 140 of Nubian time, in addition to 360 pieces having the tang of Aswan.The work in this unique edifice lasted for 11 years straight, and cost LE 60 million The museum of Nubia gained this unique position simply because it harbors unique monuments not in any elsewhere.It houses the statute of Ramsis II, which was laid at the very forefront of the Museum, statute of Amenras the spiritual wife of Amen, she is of Nubian origin. It, also, has the head of the Shpatka, of the Nubian origin, made of rosy granite, head of black granite of Tahraqa, the Nubian King, whose reign during the 7th century BC was said to be full of prosperity. There is a temple of his name with gold-plated pillars.
 There are, also, four mummies for nobles, which were found in Kashmatkh town in Nubia. The museum, as well, houses several models and styles of the Nubian heritage, the panorama of the Nile, depicting live image of the River Nile streaming through its banks. There is also a model for the Nubian-style house, typically copied to mirror the nature of life in Nubia. All pieces exhibited in the museum reflect the character of the Nubia over history and display how it merged with the Islamic civilization on one hand and the mother civilization of Egypt on the other. So, the museum of Nubia plays vital role not only at the level of promoting Nubia to the entire world but also at the level of maintaining monuments and supporting researchers, interested in Nubia, from around the globe.This, however could be achieved through the museum's study center and the documentation centers which publish more information on the "Land of Gold" in Egypt, the past, the present and the future. 
Nubia Museum, which hosts 3000 monumental pieces of several times, ranks tenth in the list of the museums inaugurated in Egypt over the past three years. An array of important museums, however, has been inaugurated; Mohamed Nagui Museum, Modern Egyptian Art Museum, Museum of Mohamed Mahmoud Khalil and his wife, Museum of Ahmed Desouki, Port Said Museum for Modern Arts, Taha Hussein Museum, and the Mummification Museum in Luxor.
Built to preserve the archaeological and cultural record of a civilization from prehistoric times to the present, the Nubian Museum, designed by Mahmoud El-Hakim and funded by the Egyptian government, is an important center for African and Middle Eastern archaeology and museology, as well as a vital community museum. The 108,0000-square foot (10,000-square-meter) museum faces the Nile in the manner of traditional Nubian houses. An open triangle motif on the main facade derives from traditional Nubian architecture and is one of a number of such elements subtly incorporated into the design.
Entering at ground level, visitors are led down to the main exhibition area, where they find the museum's centerpiece: a statue of Ramses II (1304-1237 B.C.), builder of the great temple at Abu Simbel. The scheme draws visitors through the museum building and out to an exterior exhibition area, designed to represent the Nile Valley.
This area includes a cave housing prehistoric drawings of animals, and also features a traditional Nubian house, an outdoor theater for five hundred people, two shrines, a musalla(place of prayer), and several graves, said to be Fatimid, Roman, and Coptic in origin. A canal symbolizes the River Nile, which is surrounded by local flora and fauna.
The institution is popular among the residents of Aswan, who are proud of their museum and feel that it reflects their way of life. The museum plays an important role in informing both Egyptian and international visitors about Nubian culture, preserving the record of an ancient civilization while providing a focal point for today's community.
I highly recommend the museum to all who visit Egypt. It is worth a detour to Aswan especially to see it. Reserve at least three hours for your visit, and do not miss the beautiful garden, which also contains some stone antiquities of various kinds. A few Fatimid tombs which were already present on the hill have been restored and are incorporated in the garden
What about their future? Of course the nostalgia (mostly for the old generation) for their country is enormous
   The Nubians lost their ancient homeland in the 1960's, but their culture and heritage remain forever
 

 
 

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