Architectural and Urban Expression in Nubian Village Origins and Transformation with Special Reference to Displacement Villages

Abstract

The urban environment is the physical frame which satisfies human needs, and they largely reflect the character of society. The nature of this interaction depends to a large extent to the formations of this template including the buildings, spaces and services. It provides social relationships and interactions, as well as for human models with multiple cultural backgrounds. And as the physical framework affects the behavior and personalities of those who occupy it, individuals and groups influence their role in their urban environment and volunteer it and subject it to their desires and requirements. The paper considers Nubian Communities as a distinguished manifestation of the reciprocal relationship between people and places, and the resulting culture, cultural patterns, architecture, and built environments. It follows selected displaced Nubian Communities in their new settings, the “migration” villages, “Isna” district, “Qena” Governorate, Upper Egypt. The paper records and presents the Nubian Communities’ interventions in buildings and built forms of those villages. It compares the new buildings and settings with the deserted traditional Nubian dwellings and settlements, before displacement. The research also addresses the reasons behind settlers’ additions, and its relation to Nubian culture and indigenous physical expressions, in order to reach the formulation of a living environment that stimulates communication and social interaction among its users and also meet their requirements and various activities so as to feel the enjoyment and comfort and also reduce the encroachment on the surrounding environment.