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Nubians

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"Nubians" and "Nubian" redirect here. For the breed of goat of the same name, see Anglo-Nubian. For the ships of Royal Navy, see HMS Nubian.
Nubians
Regions with significant populations
 Egypt
 Sudan
Languages
Kenuzi-Dongola, Nobiin, other Nubian languages; Egyptian Arabic, Sa'idi Arabic, Sudanese Arabic
Religion
Sunni Islam

The Nubians (Arabic: نوبي, Nuubi) are an ethnic group originally from northern Sudan, and southern Egypt now inhabiting East Africa and some parts of Northeast Africa. The Nubian people in Sudan inhabit the region between Wadi Halfa in the north and Aldaba in the south. The main Nubian groups from north to south are the Halfaweyen, Sikut, Mahas, and Danagla. They speak different dialects of the Nubian language.

In ancient times Nubians were depicted by Egyptians as having very dark skin, often shown with hooped earrings and with braided or extended hair.[1] Ancient Nubians were famous for their skill and precision with the bow, and were hired as archers by the Egyptian army.[2]

History

A Nubian wedding
Further information: Nubia

Nubians are the people of southern Egypt and northern Sudan, settling along the banks of the Nile from Aswan. Their Nubian language is an Eastern Sudanic language, part of the Nilo-Saharan phylum.

Old Nubian is attested from the 8th century, and is thus the oldest recorded language of Africa outside of the Afro-Asiatic group. It was the language of the Noba nomads who occupied the Nile between the First and Third Cataracts and the Makorae nomads who occupied the land between the Third and Fourth Cataracts following the collapse of Meroë sometime in the 4th century AD. The Makorae were a separate tribe who eventually conquered or inherited the lands of the Noba: they established a Byzantine-influenced state called Makuria which administered the Noba lands separately as the eparchy of Nobadia. Nobadia was converted to Monophysite Christianity by the priests Julian and Longinus, and thereafter received its bishops from the Pope of Alexandria.

Present day

The influx of Arabs to Egypt and Sudan had contributed to the suppression of the Nubian identity following the collapse of the last Nubian kingdom in 1900. A major part of the modern Nubian population were arabized. The Jaa'leen-the majority of Northern Sudanese and some Donglawes in Sudan, Kenuz and Koreskos in Egypt all claimed to be Arabs. However the vast majority of Nubians were converted to Islam, and Arabic became their main language, in addition to their indigenous old Nubian language. The unique characteristics of Nubians are their culture (dress, dances, traditions and music) as well as their indigenous language which is a common feature of most Nubians.

Prominent Nubians

References

  1. ^ Dig Nubia – Image
  2. ^ Dig Nubia – Nubia: Land of the Bow
  3. ^ "Mohammed Wardi Sudanese legend and musical encyclopedia". Capital. Retrieved 19 October 2010.
  4. ^ Al-Ahram Weekly Online, 19 - 25 July 2007 Accessed 18 June 2010
  5. ^ "Ali Hassan Kuban". Afropop Worldwide. World Music Productions. Retrieved 2007-07-23.
  • Rouchdy, Aleya (1991). Nubians and the Nubian Language in Contemporary Egypt: A Case of Cultural and Linguistic Contact. Leiden: Brill Academic Publishers. ISBN 9004091971.
  • Valbelle, Dominique (2007). The Nubian Pharaohs: Black Kings on the Nile. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press. ISBN 977416010X. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  • Warnock Fernea, Elizabeth (1990). Nubian Ethnographies. Chicago: Waveland Press Inc. ISBN 0881334804. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  • Black Pharaohs - National Geographic Feb 2008
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