The Nubian Village we visited was about a 30 minute boat ride from downtown Aswan.    The Nubian Village is a community within a community.  They speak Nubian, which interestingly has no written language.  They also all speak Arabic and use that language for their written use.  Because it rains there only about once every two to three years and then it is a sprinkle at best, they have no need for a normal roof.