Nubian Heritage Association The Nubian Heritage Association was founded in 1980 and registered under number 2800/1980 with the Ministry of Social Affairs (Ministry of Solidarity) in Cairo. The late Mohamed Hassan Al-Shourbagy was the first president of the association, and the current president is Dr. Mustafa Abdel Qader. The association’s headquarters is located at 15 Abdel Aziz Jawish Street – Bab El-Louq – Cairo. Since its establishment, the association has undertaken numerous activities aimed at preserving Nubian heritage through field collection and documentation, as well as organizing monthly seminars to raise awareness about Nubian heritage and folklore. The association has also collaborated with various Nubian and government institutions, such as the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, contributing to the publication of books and articles related to Nubian heritage. In 2020, the association joined the Advisory Committee of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage at UNESCO.

Association’s Goals:

1. Raise awareness about the importance of Nubian heritage as a key element of Egyptian culture.
2. Strengthen national identity by emphasizing the connection of local populations to their heritage.
3. Transform elements of heritage into economic resources by highlighting their cultural value.
4. Encourage individuals and communities to care for heritage and ensure its sustainability.
5. Train local youth in documenting and preserving their heritage.
6. Establish a cultural, literary, and historical archive using modern digital publishing tools.
7. Develop a database to support scientific research and ease the work of researchers in the field of Nubian heritage.

Project Goals:

The project aims to document the cultural heritage of border communities, which have a unique and rich heritage stemming from ancient civilizations. The Nubian community, with its ancient civilization extending back to the Pharaonic era, is a key focus of this initiative. The project involves collaboration with various Nubian institutions to preserve and promote Nubian cultural heritage.

Nubian Heritage:

The Nubian Heritage Association is dedicated to documenting the intangible cultural heritage of the Nubian region. Through collaboration with different Nubian institutions, such as the Fadikiya and Matoaki (Kenzy), the association, in partnership with the Bibliotheca Alexandrina’s Center for Documentation of Cultural and Natural Heritage, has earned the trust of Nubians and their institutions. The center has also trained local people on how to collect and document Nubian heritage.

Project Beginnings:

• 2006: The project began at the Center for Documentation of Cultural and Natural Heritage, with the conference “Nubia Towards the Digital Age” to announce the project.
• 2006: A cooperation protocol was signed between the General Nubian Club and the center in Abu Simbel, Aswan.
• 2007: Groups of field researchers were trained in the Nubian region on collection and documentation tasks.
• From 2012, the project received support from the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.

Association Activities:

1. Documentation: Training local researchers on how to document heritage using digital multimedia tools such as photography, audio recordings, and video.
2. Cultural Seminars: Organizing monthly seminars to raise awareness about Nubian heritage.
3. Outputs: Publishing specialized books and documentary films on Nubian heritage in collaboration with the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and the General Egyptian Book Organization.
4. Nubian Heritage Website: A digital platform that includes research and articles on Nubian heritage, as well as a digital photo library.
5. Handicrafts: Documenting Nubian handicrafts and training individuals to preserve them through workshops and craft exhibitions.

Association Events:

• Nubian Women’s Day: In collaboration with the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, featuring cultural seminars, handicraft exhibitions, and photography and fine arts displays.
• Nubian Heritage Day: In collaboration with the General Nubian Club in Alexandria, featuring educational seminars and cultural activities.

Through these activities, the association strives to preserve and document Nubian heritage for future generations, highlighting the importance of Nubian heritage in both Egyptian and global cultural contexts.