THE NUBIANS

THE NUBIANS

"Where do you go for the best bread in the world?

To a Nubian home." - saying in Aswan, Egypt

The bread, Aish-shamshi, a tinge of sour in it, served with Halwa, Mish (fresh cheesecake) and Honey (rab of sugarcane) is an assay the foodies will love.

Don't be alarmed if you see a few Nile crocodiles around the home. They are pets. Though I think they are there as tourist attraction. Be pleased, nonetheless: you will not see Nile crocodiles in the Nile anywhere in Egypt.  Since the building of the Aswan High Dam, the crocodiles are confined to the huge lake formed by the dam. In the lake, the crocks can be seen in the hundreds.

But don't get close to the pet crock even if it seems to be in deep slumber: even in that state, it is aware of the living-beings in its vicinity; and it strikes real fast - scientifically proven facts. 

Most Nubians today live on the fringes of society in Egypt, subsisting on small farms, and handicrafts like ear rings.

But they are one of the oldest civilizations in the world. Once rich and powerful, they ruled Egypt for a hundred years (746 BC to 653 BC under Nubian Pharaohs (Kings) of 25th dynasty. In the modern times they have produced some notable personalities: Anwar Sadat, third President of Egypt and the first Muslim Noble Laurette; Gaffar Nimeiry, former President of Sudan; Field Marshal Hussein_Tantawi_Soliman, de facto Head of State of Egypt;  Abdallah_Khalil,  former PM of Sudan; and many others.

Their villages were submerged in the lake after the Aswan High Dam was built. They were relocated in villages in twelve islands in the Nile in Aswan. Inheritors of a rich language and culture that is reflected in their brightly painted houses with curved roofs.

Visit to a Nubian village is a must for  a tourist.