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CATEGORY
The AA VS Climate Cartographies investigates the longue durée of climate change through heritage sites using cartographic methodologies. The first iteration of the program focused on Meroë, specifically the Royal City and its Cemetery, as a foundation for these discussions. The environmental changes affecting the site are historical and continue to evolve, as images from less than a hundred years ago indicate a rapidly shifting ecological system that has left traces on the landscape and the material remains of the site. Recent interventions aim to protect the site from flooding and sandstorms, which have intensified in recent years. The course is structured around three interconnected themes: Critical Climates, Critical Heritage, and Climate Imaginations.
Critical Heritage invites a contemplative exploration of the often-overlooked interplay between the unpredictable nature of altered water passages and the erasure of heritage. The ever-shifting currents of the Nile have resulted in new patterns that occasionally eradicate Nubian heritage. Today, the river’s course is once again being modified through ambitious urban ventures, such as the construction of dams, alongside the pressing challenges posed by climate change that threaten further heritage sites. Through the lens of Critical Heritage, students engage with insights from researchers who have extensively studied the region, illuminating the broader geopolitics that influence changes along the Nile, national aspirations, and the significance of the historical narratives of the communities that once inhabited the area. Architectural critic Hashim Khalifa discussed modernization projects and Nubia, emphasizing the connection between the dams, modernity, and nation-building. Historian William Carruthers addressed the geopolitics surrounding world heritage sites, while Solange Ashby presented on the historical communities that once inhabited the kingdoms of Meroë.
Hashim Khalifa explores the impacts of Nubian displacement in North Sudan during the 1960s, emphasizing various facets of their culture and traditional building techniques. He illustrates how their way of life has been closely linked to centuries of proximity to the Nile and how this connection has been disrupted in favor of national development projects.
Hashim Khalifa discussed on the Modernization and Nubia, examining the connection between the dams, modernity, and nation-building.
William Carruthers explores the geo-political consequences of the Aswan Dam, highlighting its prioritization of state control and technological advancement at the expense of the Nubian community. In parallel, UNESCO’s archaeological initiatives aimed at preserving historical monuments frequently overlooked the challenges faced by Nubians, underscoring the enduring influence of colonial legacies on governance and marginalized identities.
Historian William Carruthers addressed the geopolitics surrounding world heritage sites.
Solange Ashby emphasizes the significance of Nubian communities, particularly the powerful women who held positions of authority. She analyzes ancient scripts found at various sites that showcase women’s agency and influence, while also highlighting how these historical narratives have been reclaimed in contemporary contexts to promote empowerment and resilience among women today.
Architect and planner Elkindi Elaagip contributed his insights from his experience with the Ministry of Planning and the United Nations Habitat, highlighting policies that exacerbate flooding and sharing materials that promote resilience.
This has been commissioned and uniquely presented for Urgent Pedagogies, published as part of Urgent Pedagogies Issue #11: Climate Cartographies.
Climate Cartographies was partly supported by the British Institute of Eastern Africa, the British Academy, and the architecture firm Iskan.
received a Diploma of Architecture from the Khartoum Technical Institute in 1968 and a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Khartoum in 1977. He received a PhD in Architecture from the Faculty of Social Studies at the University of Edinburgh in 1988. Hashim was appointed an assistant professor in 1988 and promoted to associate professor in 2000. He worked in academia from 1977 until 2021 in several universities in Sudan and the Arab world. Hashim contributed to establishing several academic programs in architecture, interior design and landscape architecture. He has published several papers in more than one periodical.
received her doctorate in Egyptology, specialising in ancient Egyptian language and Nubian religion, from the University of Chicago. Her first book, Calling Out to Isis: The Enduring Nubian Presence at Philae, explores the Temple of Philae as a Nubian sacred site. Her current research describes women’s roles as queens, priestesses, and mothers in traditional Nubian religious practices. Solange teaches in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles).
is a Lecturer in Heritage and Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Essex. He is the author of Flooded Pasts: UNESCO, Nubia, and the Recolonization of Archaeology (Cornell University Press, 2022) and holds a PhD in the History and Philosophy of Science from the University of Cambridge (2014). William has held grants from, among others, the AHRC, the Gerda Henkel Stiftung, and the Leverhulme Trust and held postdoctoral positions in the UK, India, and Italy. He is currently working on a book project about why—despite the concept’s colonial genealogies— newly independent countries helped to enable the global rise of heritage.
Hashim Khalifa Mahgoub. “Dwelling space in the Sudan: official policies and traditional norms.” (1988). [PhD Dissertation], The University of Edinburgh.
Solange Ashby. Calling out to Isis: The Enduring Presence of Nubian Worshippers at Philae. Gorgias Press, 2020.
William Carruthers. Flooded pasts: UNESCO, Nubia, and the recolonization of archaeology. Cornell University Press, 2022.
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Urgent Pedagogies is an IASPIS project.
