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Nubian Museum

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Nubian Museum
Museum entrance
Map
Established23 November 1997
LocationAswan, Egypt
TypeHistory Museum

The Nubian Museum (officially the International Museum of Nubia) is an archaeological museum in Aswan, Upper Egypt, devoted to the archaeological, historical, cultural, and environmental heritage of Nubia. The museum grew out of the international campaign launched by UNESCO and the Egyptian government in 1960 to preserve Nubian monuments threatened by the construction of the Aswan High Dam.[1]

Dedicated to Nubian culture, heritage, and civilization, it was inaugurated on November 23, 1997,[2] and was awarded the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2001.[3] The museum was designed by Egyptian architect Mahmoud El-Hakim.

Origin

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The Nubian Museum was built after the Egyptian government requested its construction in 1960.[4] Its development can be credited to specialists from UNESCO, and academics from universities throughout the nation. The request was a response to the International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia, founded by UNESCO.[5] Its creation allowed for a shared space to view and appreciate artifacts and monuments from Nubian history.

UNESCO's assistance in coordinating the logistical matters of funding and governmental affairs explains the museum's financing, development, and ultimate result.[5] A trust fund, created in 1960, consisted of money from donor states and the governments of Sudan and Egypt.[2] To this day, UNESCO and the executive board governing operations within the Nubian Museum continue to work towards the overarching goal of creating a space to appreciate the cultural heritage of ancient Nubia while preserving artifacts and practicing standard procedures of conservation on existing archeological sites throughout the region.

Building

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Pharaohs room.

The Nubian Museum covers an area of 50,000 square meters, 7,000 of which are devoted to the building, while the rest are devoted to gardens and other public spaces.[2]The building was designed by Egyptian architect Mahmoud El-Hakim, while the museum's interior exhibition design was undertaken by Mexican architect Pedro Ramírez Vázquez. Its exterior is clad in local sandstone and pink granite and was designed to reflect traditional Nubian architecture.[6] 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 Nubian culture and civilization.

Contents

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Portrait of Nubian King Taharqa, Nubian Museum.

The museum's three floors display thousands of artifacts illustrating the archaeological, historical, cultural, and environmental heritage of Nubia. The collection traces the development of Egyptian and Nubian society and culture across different historical periods. The main exhibition hall and a diorama present traditional Nubian customs and handicrafts.[7] The museum also contains a lecture hall, library, educational department, theatre, and open-air amphitheatre used for presentations of Nubian folklore.[8]

Landscape

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View of the museum

The Museum is built on a steep cliff, which enables it to embody a full scale design for the Nile river from its origins in Ethiopia and Sudan to Egypt. The edifice is surrounded by a Natural Botanical Garden, which contains a large variety of Egyptian flora.

Administration

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Ossama A. W. Abdel Meguid served as director of the Nubian Museum for many years following its opening. He was identified as the museum's director in 1998, shortly after its inauguration,[9] and again in a 2005 article in Museum International, which described him as director of the Nubian Museum and a graduate in museology of the Reinwardt Academy in Amsterdam.[10] He continued to be identified as director of the museum by the International Council of Museums in 2018.[11]

Community impact

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The geographical scope of Ancient Nubia spanned across many modern-day nations and along the Nile River. The Nubian Museum depicts a shared history through archeological artifacts that connect a shared heritage continentally. The museum's creation permits individuals to appreciate and learn about the shared communal history that spans nations' borders.[citation needed]

The museum itself makes an effort to be involved within the local Aswan community. Locals are encouraged to visit during special hours to learn about Nubian history and research practices. Educational outreach brings in local students in an effort to encourage children to learn about research processes and ancient Nubian history. In addition to the educational side of museum outreach, there is a major push for community engagement through events. The museum space is used for community events and programs and results in a valuable relationship between the local community of Aswan and the museum.[12]

Major prizes

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See also

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References

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  1. ↑ "Nubia Museum". Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Egypt. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 Raafat, Samir. "Nubia Museum". Egy.com. Archived from the original on 2009-10-04. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
  3. ↑ "Nubian Museum | Aga Khan Development Network". www.akdn.org. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2018-02-24.
  4. ↑ "Nubia Museum". egymonuments.gov.eg. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
  5. 1 2 "Monuments of Nubia-International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia". whc.unesco.org. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  6. ↑ "Nubia Museum". Discover Egypt's Monuments. Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Egypt. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
  7. ↑ "Nubia Museum". Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Egypt. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
  8. ↑ "Nubia Museum". Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Egypt. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
  9. ↑ "Nubia Resurfaces from the Depths". The Washington Post. 8 January 1998. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
  10. ↑ Abdel Meguid, Ossama A. W. (2005). "The Nubia Museum's Role in the Community". Museum International. 57 (1–2): 67–72. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0033.2005.00513.x. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
  11. ↑ "Convegno Napoli 2018". ICOM Italia. 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
  12. ↑ Meguid, Ossama A.W. Abdel (2005). "The Nubia Museum's role in the community". unesdoc.unesco.org. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
  13. ↑ "Nubian Museum in Aswan: History, Treasures, Architecture, and Hidden Facts". Retrieved 23 September 2025.

Bibliography

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  • 1982: Nubia Museum, Architectural and Exhibition Program, EAO-UNESCO, Unpublished report.
  • 1997: Gaballa, Ali Gaballa, Nubia Museum, (Cairo: Ministry of Culture, The Higher Council of Antiquities, Museum Sector, Save Nubia Fund).
  • 1998: Kaper, Olaf E. The New Nubia Museum of Aswan (http://www.assemblage.group.shef.ac.uk/4/4nubia.html.
  • 2005: Abdel Wareth Abdel Meguid, O. “The Nubia Museum and Community”, Museum International, (Paris: UNESCO, May,), 225–226.
  • 2000: Marino Giuseppe, De Simone, Costanza, Nubia Submerged: Through their Eyes with their Own Words. Cairo: Agenzia Italiana. (in cooperazione con Giuseppe Marino) (90 pp.).
  • 2009: De Simone, Costanza, “The Documentation Center on Nubia at the Nubia Museum of Aswan”. Egyptian and Egyptological Documents, Archives (Università di Milano. Pontetremoli, Milano), 173–178.
  • 2015: De Simone, Costanza, Nubia and Nubians: The ‘Museumization’ of a Culture. Saarbrücken, Germania: Lambert Academic Publishing (110, 305 pp.).


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24°04′48″N 32°53′22″E / 24.08000°N 32.88944°E / 24.08000; 32.88944

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