The Beja Cultural Studies Centre was established in 2007, as a new academic centre specialising in Beja culture, within the Red Sea University. The proposal to establish the centre was supported by both the Red Sea State government and the Red Sea University Council, and is therefore considered a state-wide endeavour. The centre now includes a number of departments, such as Beja language and linguistics, archaeology, folklore studies and history.

The aims of the centre are to enable an awareness of Beja culture, to promote literacy and literature in the Beja language, to connect the Red Sea University with the surrounding Beja community, and to liaise with other universities and centres concerned with similar activities. Further to this, the centre has sought to study and explore the history of the region and to conduct comparative studies with related cultures, to identify links, interactions and potential for establishing new positive relationships to build peace and other beneficial impacts. The centre’s activities include collecting, documenting, publishing and issuing studies related to Beja culture, in addition to conducting specific studies. The centre also facilitates conferences, seminars, symposiums, mobile workshops and other teaching activities. Furthermore, it has established an information and documentation unit, as well as a Bejaoui Heritage Museum.

The Beja Cultural Studies Centre collaborated with Sudan Memory since 2020, to digitise private collections related to Beja culture and other local heritage throughout the Red Sea State, and to make this content available at the Beja Centre to researchers and the public. Scanning equipment was installed and training was provided at the centre, and the local team have since embarked on a number of recording missions.

What is presented here is a selection of scanned materials that showcases this collection. For more information on the collection, please contact the collection contributor.