About This Event

An Anthropological Pilgrimage Along the Nile’s Unbroken Corridor with Dr Ivana Bajic-Hajdukovic Join anthropologist, writer, and founder of The Nile Pilgrimage, Dr Ivana Bajic-Hajdukovic, for a fascinating exploration of the Nile as a living corridor of culture, memory, and connection. Following the Nile river system from its equatorial sources to the great civilisations of ancient Egypt, this talk explores the river not simply as a geographical feature, but as a sacred pathway connecting people, places, and traditions across Northeast Africa. Beginning in the East African Rift Valley, the presentation traces humanity's deep ancestral story through some of the world's earliest human remains, including Dinknesh ("Lucy"), discovered in Ethiopia. Following the waters of the Nile through Uganda and the Ethiopian highlands, Dr Bajic-Hajdukovic reveals how the river reflects ancient networks of migration, exchange, and cultural continuity. Along the way, audiences will discover the remarkable cultural and linguistic diversity of southern Ethiopia's Omo Valley, where ancient languages and Indigenous traditions continue to offer insights into the region's past. The talk also explores surviving material cultures that reveal striking connections between East Africa and the Nile Valley, from the tanqwa papyrus canoes still used on Ethiopia's Lake Tana to carved wooden headrests that remain part of daily life across Eastern Africa today. Through anthropology, storytelling, and lived experience gathered during the Nile Pilgrimage, this presentation uncovers enduring links between contemporary East African communities and the world of Pharaonic Egypt. By exploring these surviving traditions and deep historical connections, it invites us to reflect on shared heritage, cultural resilience, and the stories that continue to flow along the Nile. About the Speaker Dr Ivana Bajic-Hajdukovic is an anthropologist, writer, independent researcher, and cultural practitioner. She leads The Nile Pilgrimage across Uganda, Ethiopia, and Egypt, a transformative journey dedicated to exploring the living anthropology, sacred geographies, and cultural heritage of Northeast Africa. Her work examines how surviving material cultures, ancient languages, and sacred traditions connect the East African Rift Valley with Pharaonic Egypt. Through her research, she seeks to illuminate narratives of unity, deep time, and ancestral continuity. More information can be found at The Rivers of Remembrance (https://www.theriversofremembrance.com).

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