- published: 26 Mar 2014
- views: 578343
Nubia is a region along the Nile river, which is located in northern Sudan and southern Egypt.
There were a number of small Nubian kingdoms throughout the Middle Ages, the last of which collapsed in 1504, when Nubia became divided between Egypt and the Sennar sultanate resulting in the Arabization of much of the Nubian population. Nubia was again united within Ottoman Egypt in the 19th century, and within Anglo-Egyptian Sudan from 1899 to 1956.
The name Nubia is derived from that of the Noba people, nomads who settled the area in the 4th century, with the collapse of the kingdom of Meroë. The Noba spoke a Nilo-Saharan language, ancestral to Old Nubian. Old Nubian was used in mostly religious texts dating from the 8th and 15th centuries AD. Before the 4th century, and throughout classical antiquity, Nubia was known as Kush, or, in Classical Greek usage, included under the name Ethiopia (Aithiopia).
Historically, the people of Nubia spoke at least two varieties of the Nubian language group, a subfamily which includes Nobiin (the descendant of Old Nubian), Kenuzi-Dongola, Midob and several related varieties in the northern part of the Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan. A variety (Birgid) was spoken (at least until 1970) north of Nyala in Darfur but is now extinct.
Oh Nubia Nubia Nubia, the word is love to me
Your beauty and the gentle magic of your soul live here in my memory
Golden evenings in pink white veils sounds of the river telling ancient tales
Dreams return me to you, fire flows in deep blue.
Oh Nubia Nubia Nubia, the ringing in my ear
As I wander through another light in search of someone soft I once held near
Time glances the other way, life's sweet shadow makes night his day
Brings me closer to you, paints my heart a deep blue.
Whispers from eternity
Bridges life's sweet mystery
To sleep I go and hear the name Nubia Nubia Nubia ...
Soft heart wait another day, flaming boat will take you away
Then at the mystery's end, I won't have to pretend-tend-tend.
Now you are ...
Now you are ...
Now you are ...
Now you are ...