WHAT WE DO

The Project aims to support the continuation of the Nubian languages and living  culture by:

• Identifying the most urgent intangible heritage for protection and documentation
• Involving the Sudanese and Egyptian Nubians and the UK and international Nubian diaspora community to be at the heart of the project
• Documenting and archiving language and cultural materials
• Linking the project to Nubian cultural activities in Egypt, Sudan and internationally
• Creating a repository of Nubian toponyms (lost and threatened) and associated texts
• Highlighting the cultural continuity of 3,000 years from Ancient Egypt to modern-day Nubia
• Maintaining the Nubian languages
• Considering issues in orthography for writing Nubian
• Recording oral histories and memories of the lost and endangered landscape
• Creating an online presence for Nubian language and culture
• Supporting the language ecology of Nubian multilingualism
• Informing external agencies working in Nubia on language valorisation
• Training the Nubian community in language documentation and revitalisation
• Developing teaching and learning materials for Nubian heritage language learners
• Creating new social spaces for Nubian language support and maintenance
• Exhibiting the lost house decoration of Kenzi Nubian women
• Connecting the academic community with the Nubian community and diaspora
• Showcasing the endangered traditional craftsmanship of Nubia: Waterwheels, Nile boats and housebuilding
• Preserving the ancient songs of the waterwheel, the Nile and Nubia
• Celebrating Nubian artists, artistic motifs, music and poetry
• Networking the project as a model for the safeguarding of other endangered languages and cultures' intangible heritage
• Engaging multidisciplinary expertise for intangible heritage safeguarding (archaeology, art & architecture, gender studies, visual arts, music, literature, geography, zoology, anthropology, policy, law and development etc.)

WHO WE ARE
​
The Project team are
Professor Herman Bell (Institute of Islamic and Arab Studies), University of Exeter, UK, UNGEGN, FRGS
Dr Halim Sabbar, Nobiin Nubian language and folklore specialist
Dr Muhammed Jalal Hashim, Khartoum University, Sudan
Dr Kirsty Rowan (Department of Linguistics), School of Oriental and African Studies, UK

OUR WORK

ENDANGERED TOPONYMY

One of our urgent tasks is to document the Nubian toponymy and memories of places that have been submerged under Lake Nubia.

LIVING CULTURE

Working with the Nubian community, we are supporting and promoting the living culture.

DOCUMENTATION

Documenting the Nubian languages in use and archiving the data in the endangered languages archive (ELAR) at SOAS.