Ancient civilization threatened
Students line up in Sebu, one of the Nubian villages that would be submerged by a proposed dam. Residents have been watching warily as a parade of unfamiliar trucks and SUVs speeds through town carrying Chinese engineers to a work site a mile away. (Carolyn Cole / LAT)
Nubian students in the Sudanese village of Sebu are taught in Arabic, not their native language. Nubians view themselves as a distinct ethnicity, neither Arab nor strictly black African, and they take pride in being one of Africas oldest civilizations. (Carolyn Cole / LAT)
Men gather is the town of Kerma along the Nile river discussing politics, soccer and other concerns. The remaining Nubian people and their heritage are threatened by a new dam project underway by the Sudanese government. (Carolyn Cole / LAT)
Izzadin Idriss Mohammed, age 71, is fighting the building of the dams along the Nile, which threaten to flood his village. A recent protest by locals, lead to the death of four protesters in the area. (Carolyn Cole / LAT)
The family of Sheik Adeen Haj Ahmed gather after a night of mourning. Ahmed was one of four people killed by goverment forces during a recent rally held to protest a government dam project. (Carolyn Cole / LAT)
Sudanese wait for a ferry to cross the Nile. (Carolyn Cole / LAT)
Sudanese women pay for passage on a ferry crossing the Nile River upstream from the sites where the government plans to build dams. (Carolyn Cole / LAT)
A Sebu resident wades in the Nile River near the village, where the government wants to build a dam. It would force villagers to leave their homes. (Carolyn Cole / LAT)
Men arrive at the Meroe Pyramids to provide camel rides for tourists. Other Nubian ruins nearby could be at risk from a proposed 200-megawatt dam. (Carolyn Cole / LAT)
Jabel Barkal is a symbol of the Nubian Kingdom and second of the three Nubian temples built some 2500 years ago. The Nubian people of Sudan have an ancient heritage dating back some 3000 years or more. (Carolyn Cole / LAT)
Ancient Nubian drawings at a royal burial ground not far from Jebel Barkal. (Carolyn Cole / LAT)
One of the temples at Jebel Barkal was for Queen Amun. An inside chamber is decorated with ancient carvings. (Carolyn Cole / LAT)
