Before the flood

Abdallah Schleifer and Barbi Bursch Eysselinck highlight the wonders of Nubia as they walk us through the pulling together of a collection that offers unprecedented insight into a land that once was.

This week, The Rare Books and Special Collections Library and The Sony Gallery for Photography at the American University in Cairo hosted a joint exhibition, “Nubia Before the Flood”, which celebrates the work of artists, archaeologists, and ethnologists who documented Nubia at various points in recent history.

The exhibit includes drawings, gouaches, plans and photographs of Nubian houses and villages by the internationally renowned Egyptian architect, the late Hassan Fathy—this in addition to David Roberts’ prints, illustrations from La Description de l’Egypte, and photos of the Nubians and the monuments of Nubia by KAC Creswell and Margot Veillon. Early maps and travel accounts of Nubia from the Rare Books special collection as well as craft items and textiles, courtesy of the Nubia Museum, are also on display.

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