The Beja of the Nubian Desert

The Beja, known to the Greeks as the Blemmyes, have lived along the Red Sea coast for thousands of years. Their life is harsh to an extreme and, in many ways, far from the modern world. The great majority of Beja are semi-nomadic pastoralists, raising camels for which they are renowned. The majority live in the Nubian Desert straddling the border of Sudan and Eritrea while a few live in the more fertile area south-cast of Agordat and practise agriculture. The people are basically organized simply in patrilineal descent groups. All adult men debate the communities' concerns -women are excluded.
Beja women are particularly reticent in front of strangers, and keep their lovely gold ornaments hidden from public view with their muslin veils.
The nomadic Beja live in small encampments, in houses made of mats and hides over wicker frames. These are easily dismantled and carried by camels when the people move in their perpetual search for water and fresh pastures.
In some areas the language of Beja is giving way to Tigre, as wealthy Beja speakers tend to marry Tigre women - and it is mothers who usually bring about language changes in families.