Far away from the mainstream tourist trail in Aswan, southern Egypt, lies a small village full of life and culture, one of the most primitive tribes of ancient Egypt - the Nubian Village. The houses here are painted in a variety of dopamine colors, like blue, green, yellow, pink, and so on, just like jumping out of a fairy tale book, and every wall tells the story of the Nubian's passion for life and reverence for nature. Known for its bright colors, unique architecture and rich cultural heritage, this place is the perfect destination for finding authentic Egyptian life.
❌ If you just want to see the painted walls, then it's not worth going.
☑️ If you are looking for an immersive experience of Egyptian culture, the Nubian village is the place to be.
Unique architectural style
This is Egypt's newest travel influencer punch point, one side of the village is near the Nile River, the other three sides are surrounded by desert.
The Nubian village is relatively poor compared to the rest of Egypt, but they enjoy doing their own wall painting in their houses. After a few days of seeing deserts, ancient buildings, and temples, aesthetic fatigue is inevitable, but this colorful village is really a good aesthetic buffer. The architecture of the Nubian village is one of the highlights here. The houses are mostly built of mud brick, with exterior walls painted in bright blue, yellow or green and decorated with intricate geometric patterns. These colorful houses are not only pleasing to the eye, but also reflect the Nubian's love of life and passion for art.
Rich cultural experience
If I could sum up my first impression of Nubian village in one word: Low version of Yiwu village (NO bad meaning of Yiwu) along the street of small commodity shops and around the ear of CHINA NO.1/ONE DOLLAR/FIVE DOLLARS, you walk into any shop, it must be close to the stubborn sales, so when you go, you will feel: very tired.
But in retrospect, it turned out to be an interesting experience: culture shock.
In Egypt, haggling is more of a cultural interaction than just buying something. People here are happy to communicate with you in this way, and enjoying the process can also be part of your trip. Even if you don't buy it and refuse, everyone will be nice to wish you: Have a nice day! You might as well dive in and experience it.
It's ethnic, relaxed and fun, in contrast to the sacred feel of the rest of Egypt. There are souvenir shops all over the street. It's so easy to get around. Nubian culture is heavily influenced by African and Arab cultures, and its residents pride themselves on their warm hospitality and deep cultural traditions. Walking in the village, you can hear traditional Nubian music and feel the charm of the rhythm; Visit a local craft store and discover exquisite baskets and brightly colored fabrics.
Here, you can still see the pure and peaceful eyes, and feel the shock from the ancient mysterious Nubian language (although it is not understood).
Discover real Nubian life
The natives of the island looked different from the Arabs of New Egypt, their skin was darker and closer to the African race, and in addition to speaking Arabic, they also had a unique Nubian language, which was difficult to decipher and suitable for sending messages, and they were recruited as warriors. We went to a local home and had some really good food and drink, it's worth mentioning that peppermint tea is really good for an upset stomach, teasing a kitten, drawing Henna (lost in three days), and petting a baby crocodile.
A visit to a Nubian village is more than just sightseeing, it's an opportunity to gain insight into the local way of life. Local residents are usually happy to invite visitors into their homes to sample traditional Nubian dishes such as "Nubian bread" made from local wheat and legume based "faure".
Crocodiles are kept as pets here, and even if they die, they will be stuffed and put in the house to protect the safety of the whole family.
In addition, the Nubian village is close to the Nile, the life of the villagers is closely related to the river, you can also take the traditional wooden boat "Felucca" (Felucca), easily cruise on the Nile, enjoy the different scenery along the river bank. Today, Nubians make their living mainly by providing services to tourists. They take tourists on boat Tours, take them on camel rides, offer talent shows for tourists, and sell tourists souvenirs.
Perhaps they are not the best painters, but the warm colors and sincere strokes not only make the home decoration colorful, but also convey the love of life everywhere.
Tips
Transportation: shore to find a boat, bargain with the boatman 💰300-💰400 Egyptian pounds a boat back and forth, this is a reasonable price. One hour round trip by speedboat, which is cheaper, but relatively slower.
When the cruise boat sails from the dock to the island, with buildings on one side and desert on the other, civilization and pristine landscapes appear in the same blink of an eye,
Once again, you will feel the wonder of this land.
🏠 Homestay
These are two of the most beautiful hotels in the whole village, and they are very good for photos.
✔️Kato Dool Nubian House
✔️Anakato Nubian houses
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