NUBIAN ARCHITECTURE. DOCUMENTATION AND INVESTIGATION ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE VILLAGES ON THE BIGGE ISLAND

• Applicants: Professor Dr.-Ing. Hermann Schlimme, since 12/2017 (†); Professor Dr. Stephan Johannes Seidlmayer
• Subject Area: Architecture, Building and Construction History, Construction Research, Sustainable Building Technology ; Social and Cultural Anthropology and Ethnology
• Term: from 2014 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 248983396

The erection and following hightenings of the Aswan Dam destroyed the vast part of civil architecture of Nubia by inundation. By fortunate coincidence, on the island Bigge southern to Aswan, two Nubian villages remained preserved in highly authentic state. The fabric of the villages originates from 1912-1930 and is being investigated by the German Archaeological Institute Cairo and Berlin University of Technology since 2015 in regard to its building history and ethnoarchaeology.The objective of the proposed research is the documentation and analysis of the principles of spatial organization and constructive characteristics of Nubian vernacular architecture in the context of the island as well as in general in order to keep record on this lost cultural heritage.The architecture of the two villages shall be visually reconstructed on the basis of the results of the current research. On one hand, the mythologized living environment of Old Nubia will be compared to the evidence-based presentation of the past reality of life on the island. On the other hand, the specific detailed information gathered in the villages of Bigge will be put in wider context of Nubian architecture. The analysis of archival plans, maps and images will enrich the understanding not only in regard to the architecture of the island, but will also enable the presentation of the entire historic architectural landscape of Old Nubia in its singularity and diversity.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Ehemaliger Antragsteller: Professor Dr.-Ing. Johannes Cramer, until 11/2017