'Al-Bayeh' Ornament of Nuba People

"Al-Bayeh" is a piece of jewelry belonging to the people of Nubia, and it is said that the word "Al-Bayeh" in Nubian means "shiny" or "shiny faces".

Al-Bayeh is a necklace worn around the neck and hanging on the chest; it consists of six pear-shaped pendants, which together form a complete collar, engraved with prominent stars and crescents, and the Nubian olives are placed between the pendants as spacers.

In the middle of the necklace is a round pendant called "Masha Allah", and although it does not bear an inscription with this phrase, as it does not contain writings or Quranic verses, it rather contains decorative symbols that have magical power in the popular and Nubian belief.

The necklace was made of 23.5-karat gold or 21-karat, and it was worn by the women of the villages of "Qatta and Abu Samil", while the women of "Konoz" village put a crescent instead of the medal.

Contributed by Israa Farhan