The Nubians have traditionally lived on the
banks of the Nile southern Egypt and northe Sudan . They
continue cultural practices which originated with their
ancestors over 5,000 years ago in the age of the ancient Nubian
kingdom . Nubian life revolves around the Nile River. The Nile
provides water for drinking, washing, agriculture, In
appreciation for the benefits of the Nile. the entire village
gathers by the river during ceremonies such as birth, weddings ,
circumcisions, and harvest festivals.
The Nubians are believed to be the first human race on earth,
and most of their customs and traditions were adopted by the
ancient Egyptians. To the Greeks, they were known as Nubia as
the land of Punts, i.e. the land of gods.
A Nubian has been always renowned for his sheer honesty. He is
an artist by nature and his lucky number was always seven. He
holds the nine as a sacred object and wishes to stay on the Nile
bank throughout his life.
A Nubian often prefers to marry one of his or her cousins. A
Nubian wedding ceremony often lasts for 40 days, with a long
series of rituals. According to traditions, the groom has to
present several gifts, particularly garments for the bride, her
mother and sisters. These presents are boarded on a camel and
adorned with decorations such as colorful silk fabrics and
jewelry. During the wedding ceremony the groom is well-dressed,
holding a sword and a whip.
The social status of a Nubian is judged by the wealth of land
and waterwheels he owns, as well as his noble descent.
Performance of prayers, for a Nubian, is an evidence to his
vividness and an object of pride to his tribe. A Nubian who
doesn’t perform his prayers, is punishable by public disdain and
banishment away from the tribe.
A Nubian woman normally bears a loads of jewelry, all over her
body. Around the neck, she carries two lines of necklaces,
topped by two lines of jewelry, bearing the Divine Name of
Allah. On the forehead, there is a piece of jewelry showing a
Quranic verse, with a large pair of earrings dangling from the
top part of both ears, a second pair from the lower part and a
third in between. The ankle is adorned with a silver anklet and
her fingers with silver rings. A Nubian woman adorns herself
also with tattoos, normally shaped like a mole on the cheek, a
crescent on the forehead or a line drawn from the lip down to
the chin or by coloring the nether lip. The Nubian woman is
known for her remarkable use of henna and perfumes.
When a boy reached eleven years of age, his relatives selected a
girl for him as a suitable future wife. She was normally a
cousin or near relative and she would be unofficially reserved
for him. The couple grew up with the knowledge that they would
be bound in marriage in the future when they had grown up and
were ready (normally at the age of twenty-one for the boy and at
eighteen for the girl). The father, mother, or whoever was the
head of the family, approached the girl's relatives and
officially engaged her for marriage to his son. The betrothal
was done quietly, without a celebration or any advance payment
or present. The occasion was restricted to the engagement and
the fixing of the wedding date. After the engagement, the girl
would confine herself strictly to her house and was not allowed
to show herself in the street.
The birth ceremony ( sebu) for the baby took place three,five,or
seven days after birth. Every day until the (sebu) anything that
was used for the mother or the baby was kept aside in a big dish
to the right of the mother, including food given to the mother,
perfume. henna , kohl used for the baby's eyes the string used
in knotting the baby's navel, and a cup of water and sugar from
which the baby drink.
As in most parts of the Nuba mourning continued for three days.
Men usually sit in a big shed of wooden logs and wheat-stalk
mast built specially for the occasion, which they called hasira,
while women sat either on the terrace in front of the house or
inside the rooms. On the third day a charitable offering, in the
form of food or new cloth, was distributed to the poor. This
ended the period of mourning. As in all other parts of the Nuba,
the relatives and friends of the bereaved contributed to the
occasion, either by small cash payments or presents of sugar and
coffee. In addition, every family head in the village
contributed towards the feeding of guests by bringing his food
tray at meal times .
For centuries, the Nubians often held lengthy religious and
agricultural ceremonies. However, since relocation, the
ceremonies have been shortened and are now limited to the
villages. During these ceremonies, the Nubians express
themselves through singing, dancing, and beating drums.The
Nubians had proudly kept their heritage alive through oral
tradition bequeathing each new generation with stories of gold ,
gods and glory .Some of Nubians traditions have disappeared as
result there is no river Nile in modern Nuba because most of the
Nubian traditions revolved around the river Nile in birth ,
marriage and even in death but Some of the old Nubian traditions
are still remaining in the modern Nubian life .