Where is The Nubian Museum located?
The Nubian Museum is located in Aswan, Egypt. It is situated on the eastern bank of the Nile River, approximately 4 kilometers south of the Aswan High Dam.
Who built the Nubian Museum?
The Nubian Museum was designed by the Egyptian architect Mahmoud El-Hakim and was constructed between 1989 and 1997 under the auspices of the Egyptian government and UNESCO.
What is the Reason for the Nubian Museum Construction?
The construction of the Nubian Museum was intended to preserve and promote the unique cultural heritage of the Nubian people. This ancient civilization flourished in what is now southern Egypt and northern Sudan.
The museum was built to rescue and gather numerous archaeological pieces from the Nubia region that was left underwater due to the construction of the Aswan High Dam.
The flooding of ancient sites and the displacement of Nubian communities. The museum’s collection includes artifacts, artwork, and other objects that highlight the diverse cultural heritage of Nubia, from prehistoric times to the present day, and serves as an essential resource for scholars, researchers, and visitors interested in Nubian history and culture. Additionally, the museum promotes tourism in the region and has become a popular destination for visitors to Egypt.
The Museum was built on top of the mountain to give a view of the Fatimid cemetery and the Unfinished Obelisk to the east. It is 50 thousand m 2, only 7 thousand is the Museum building and the rest is a large garden.
The Museum houses 3000 monuments from their temples, tombs, and houses from different eras; prehistoric, pharaonic, Coptic, and Islamic. Only 90 pieces are in the free exhibition.
The others are in the interior rooms containing 50 priceless pieces dating from prehistoric times, 503 from Pharaonic times, 52 from Coptic times, 103 from Islamic times, 140 from the Nubia era, and 360 pieces from Aswan.
In the garden, there are some statues from various Nubian eras, a typical Nubian-style house with a brightly painted facade and daily scenes, an open-air theater with 500 seats, a Fatimid-style decorated minaret, an artificial canal surrounded by local flora and fauna that runs through the entire garden and symbolically represents the Nile River.
The Museum building is three pesos;
The basement: contains the main exhibition hall, restoration laboratories, workshops, antique shops, a reception center, and an open theater.
The ground floor: Includes the main entrance, an exhibition hall, an auditorium, a VIP room, security and administration rooms, and a general administration room for museums.
The first floor: Includes the cafeteria, library, museum, photography, microfilm rooms, administration, and museum services.
Among its virtual exhibits: is the 12 m high statue of Ramses II, surrounded by other monuments from various eras. There are also 16 statues of famous Nubian kings, a Philae Temple model, a stone painting of Amenhotep, horse supplies and ornaments, tombstones, a figure of “Ba” representing “soul,” a stone painting of Tanutamani, a model of an Islamic tomb, a statue of King Kefren, excavation items from the Palace of Ibrim, mummies of the sacred rams of the god Khnum, wooden sarcophagus. Statues of the rulers of the country of Nubian origin, Pharaoh Taharqo of the XXV dynasty, his sister Amenirdis II, and Anjnesneferibra II, were transported from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
Artifacts in the Nubian Museum
The Nubian museum functions as a magical port that whisks visitors away to older times, from the prehistorical days of the kingdom of Kush to the Pharaonic era, to the Greco-Roman period,
to the age of the Copts and Islamic people, and up to when the ancient monuments were recovered from Lake Nasser.
More than 80 statues depicting gods and historical characters from old Nubia may be found in the museum garden. The garden is named after the museum.
The museum has several exhibition halls, cultural activities, and information centers. It is home to a remarkable collection of relics, including monumental statues and objects crafted from ivory and ebony, and vital records and research about the Nubian history, archaeology, and culture. Here are some examples of the types of artifacts you can find inside the museum:
- The Granite Statue of Ramses II is one of the museum’s largest and most impressive pieces. It stands over 7 meters tall and weighs approximately 75 tons. The figure depicts the pharaoh Ramses II, who ruled during the 19th Dynasty of ancient Egypt.
- The Statue of King Taharqa: This statue is made of black granite and depicts the Nubian king Taharqa, who ruled during the 25th Dynasty of ancient Egypt. The highly detailed figure shows Taharqa wearing a traditional Nubian headdress and carrying a staff.
- The Jewelry Collection: The museum has an extensive collection of Nubian jewelry, including necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and other adornments. Many of the pieces are made of gold and feature intricate designs and symbols.
- The Kerma Collection: Kerma was an ancient Nubian kingdom that flourished between 2500 BCE and 1500 BCE. The museum has an extensive collection of artifacts from Kerma, including pottery, jewelry, and sculptures.
- The Meroitic Inscriptions: The Meroitic script was used by the Nubian kingdom of Meroe, which ruled from the 8th century BCE to the 4th century CE. The museum has a collection of inscriptions in the Meroitic script, including examples of funerary texts and religious hymns.
- The Nubian House Model: This model is a replica of a traditional Nubian house, which was made of mud bricks and had a distinctive domed roof. The model provides a glimpse into the daily life of the ancient Nubians.
These are just a few examples of the many types of artifacts that can be found in the Aswan Nubian Museum. The vast collection provides valuable insights into the history and culture of ancient Nubia.
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