Traces of a vibrant Vernacular Nubian Architecture in Egypt

Fig() Nubia Location Introduction: Nubia is a geographic region concentrated along the Nile, which is cut nowadays by the Egyptian- Sudanese borders. The name Nubia is said to come from the ancient Egyptian ‘nbu’, which means gold, in reference to the famous gold mines of the area. The Nubians have their own languages and a distinctive culture that differed a lot than the rest of the Egyptians. They had suffered from the disappearance of Nubia in 1964, by the construction of the High Dam and the creation of Lake Nasser. The “displacement” has been a chattering and traumatic experience that has affected, and is still, affecting the Nubians. As a result most of the Nubians are driven by a nostalgic urge to preserve their cultural and architectural heritage and recall the details of their lives in the old villages before the disappearance of Nubia itself. The Nubians are always known for their strong attachment to Nubia, and till now the Nubian community is very proud of their cultural heritage, tens of thousands of them were born and raised in big cities hundreds of Kilometers away from Nubia. However, they still speak their ancestors’ languages, and have the ability to recall many incidents that happened in their grandparents’ times.

Fig() Photos showing the setting of the villages along the Nile in Old Nubia (Hassan Fathy Photographic collection at the American University in Cairo) The Loss of Nubia and its architectural heritage Architect Hassan Fathy lamented the loss of the Nubian vernacular architecture, “ Nubian vernacular architecture continued to be ignored by the rest of the world until 1963, when the area was to be flooded for the third time”. He recorded Nubia’s vernacular architecture before its disappearance in 1963, and today the drawings and photographs taken by Fathy and his team, in addition to a few books are all what have been left of a rich and distinctive vernacular architectural style.

Fig() Plan, elevations and sections of a terraced row house in Old Nubia

Fig() Gharb Suhail village, which is a narrow stretch of land between the Nile bank and the desert In order to study and examine the architecture of Nubia, the researcher visited Gharb Suhail village in Aswan, which was formed in 1902, when the Aswan Dam was erected, the inhabitants of a few small islands south of the city of Aswan had to leave their villages that would have been covered by the river and to settle there. Accordingly this village was built and inhabited by Nubians for decades before the displacement crisis of the High Dam, and is renowned nowadays for its dwellings built in the traditional Nubian architectural style, and is referred to colloquially as the “Nubian Village”.

Fig()The inhabitants of Gharb Suhail village are engaged in a number of activities catered to tourists, like folk musical performances and traditional crafts Gharb Suhail village has reestablished itself as a major tourist destination in Aswan after the inauguration of the Nubian Museum in 1997, because the Nubians did not accept the “musification” of their heritage, and insisted on revealing their culture to the visitors of Aswan. The people transformed their homes into multi-purpose establishments, where handicrafts are produced and sold, ethnic dishes and drinks are cooked and served, live music and dances are performed and even crocodiles are bred and displayed. Moreover the inhabitants started and developed a special touristic itinerary, where the visitors reach the sandy shores of their village by boats, to be greeted by dancers and musicians and ride decorated camels to roam the sandy alleys of the village before visiting one of the “Nubian Houses’ and spending the day. The awareness of the people of Gharb Suhail and their attitude towards cultural heritage is exceptional among Egyptians. Their small touristic establishments aimed at preserving their intangible cultural heritage (music, songs, dances, henna decorations, cooking,…) in addition to their traditional architecture and handicrafts. Accordingly, the people of the village understood that building and decorating their houses in the traditional methods will not only attract more tourists, and make their village a unique destination, but will be an integral part of their attempts to preserve their cultural heritage and identity. The friendly and exceptional extroverted atmosphere enabled the researcher to visit a number of houses, and enter the public parts where visitors are received. The recent touristic activities resulted in a few changes in the dwellings; accordingly it is noteworthy to present an example of a dwelling that receives tourists, such as Mr Fouad Salah house. The large house rests on a hilly location and is spread on three different levels. A small rectangular garden precedes the dwelling; it accommodates a small projecting guest room, a tiny free standing toilet in the northeastern corner and the rest of the area is planted to provide a shady sitting area. The house is divided into three sections: • The main rectangular courtyard • The side entrance and the service area • The coffee shop and souvenirs area

Fig() The plan of Mr Fouad Saleh House, Gharb Suhail village, Aswan

Fig() The central courtyard covered by a newly added thin reed roof.

Fig() Photos of the side entrance, note the crocodile face adorning the door, and the utilities area beneath the vaulted entrance vestibule.

Fig() Photos of the service courtyard connecting the side entrance and the kitchen to the coffee-shop area, and separating this part from the rest of the dwelling

Fig() Photos of the coffee-shop area, showing the decoration of the vaulted seating area. This dwelling is a great example of how a building can be creatively divided into two separate parts. When Mr Fouad was asked about the change of the character of the house, the roofing of the courtyard and the location of the private and semi-private parts, he indicated that he is very practical and flexible with his requirements, and the use of spaces. He did not object roofing his courtyard, and even placing ceiling fans in it, as he still considers his dwelling a traditional Nubian house, in spite of the changes and modifications he has been undertaking. Mr Fouad showed a remarkable awareness of his Nubian heritage as he listed the different architectural and decorative elements around him, the vaults, the domes, the brickwork, the light blue color of the walls and even the habit of spreading clean sand on the floors of the courtyards. Another example is the house of Mr Abdul Wareth, which is perched on a mound above a number of houses of the village and enjoys a commanding view of the Nile. It is preceded by a few planted terraces that create a buffer between the alley and the elevated dwelling.

Fig() The plan of Mr Abdul Wareth House, Gharb Suhail village, Aswan

Fig() A view of the terraces preceding the house of Mr Abdul Wareth Fig() A view of the side entrance of the house

Fig()Photos showing the courtyard of the house, with its trees and kiln

Fig() Photos of the loggia overlooking the courtyard and roofed by a thin reed roof

Fig() Photos of the domes roofing loggia overlooking the courtyard and roofed by a thin reed roof These two examples indicate how Nubians are not only aware of their cultural and architectural heritage, but are creative to adapt their dwellings to their current needs. The Decoration of the Nubian house: Decorating the entrances was among the most distinctive architectural features of the Nubian house. Highlighting the house’s entrance was intended by every family to personalize the building and eventually the entrance decoration became a symbol of the family.

Fig() Photos showing the emphasize of entrances through their architectural and decorative treatments (Hassan Fathy Photographic collection at the American University in Cairo)

Fig() Intricate designs painted on the inner and outer facades of a Nubian house (Hassan Fathy Photographic collection at the American University in Cairo)

Fig() The Nubian villages are characterized by their colorful dwellings, the color palette includes, but is not restricted to, white, light blue, blue, yellow, ochre and brown Decoration and plastering, were the responsibility of the female members of the family. In addition to painting a number of other decorative techniques were used such as: 1-Adobe brick filigree: Circular and rectangular openings were filled by adobe bricks forming triangular shapes. The zigzag shape resulting resembled the waves of the Nile, which they considered to be associated with life and prosperity. 2-Wall-mounted objects: Colorful and shiny ceramic, wooden and metal plates were used to decorate the facades and the main entrance. Mummified or dried wild animals and birds were also incorporated in the house decoration. These were chosen according to the different powers they possessed to protect and divert the evil eye away from the house and the inhabitants. The horns of goats, sheep and wild antelopes protected these animals through their lives, and so their horns were believed to have the power to protect houses where they were hung up after the animal had been killed.

Fig () Stuffed crocodiles, birds and horns are mounted on the entrances of the dwellings of Gharb Suhail village Concluding Remarks: By surveying these examples, the following remarks could be deduced: • The vaulted entrance vestibule creates a buffer, even psychologically, between the street and the courtyard of the house. • The courtyard is the most important space of the house, and it is usually separated into a service area and a more formal area either by paving or laying simple brick courses. • Vaulting is the main roofing system and the vaults are usually concealed behind high parapets. • Decoration is a very important aspect of the Nubian house, and is one of its most distinctive characteristics. The decoration of the houses includes the great care given to painting the walls in cheerful yet light colors and the brickwork formations adorning the gateways, side entrances and some sections of the vaults. This brief study aims at emphasizing the rich and diverse artistic and architectural heritage of the Nubians that is on the verge of disappearance.