Khartoum: three-in-one city

Confluence of the Niles at sunset Khartoum wouldn’t strike anyone as a sought-after destination. However, this doesn’t mean that the Sudanese capital is totally barren. There

are some exotic and unexpected attractions to be seen. Most international flights lland in Khartoum’s airport at night, and my Fly Dubai FZ631 flight was no different. At the beginning I was kind of surprised with my observation. But, once I walked out of the airport, everything fell into place. Khartoum is built around its own airport. The Sudanese capital is a three-in-one city with Khartoum proper, Khartoum Bahari, and Omdurman making up Greater Khartoum. Though there are a lot of similarities between the three, each comes with its own distinctive character, vibe, and most importantly, attractions.

I started my visit to the Sudanese capital with a stroll in the bustling streets of Khartoum proper. It is not only a vital business center, but it is also where Sudan’s few museums are located. Topping the shortlist is the National Museum of Sudan with its two-story building and front yard. The main building provides a good introduction to the country with its ground floor partitioned into different sections, each representing a certain historical era. The upper floor is mainly dedicated to Nubia’s Christian heritage. The very far north of the country, where Nubia is located, was once an important center for the Christian faith. When the Egyptians built the High Dam in the 1970s, an artificial lake was formed. Though the man-made lake is mostly located within Egyptian boundaries, a good part of it did actually form inside Sudanese territory. This is what became known in Egypt as Lake Nasser and in Sudan as Lake Nubia. The formation of Lake Nubia threatened to submerge a number of important archaeological sites, among which is the Cathedral of Faras and three ancient Egyptian temples. Icons, frescos, and other artifacts rescued from the cathedral can be seen on the museum’s upper floor, while the ruins of Buhen, Semna, and Kumma temples occupy the museum’s front yard. 

Engulfed by the White and Blue Niles — the two main tributaries to the world longest river, the Nile — Khartoum proper is important not only from a strategic perspective, but also from a touristic one. Head to Al Morgan Park, especially around sunset, for the best views of the Nile confluence — just make sure your camera’s lens is wide enough. Crossing the White Nile, I left Khartoum proper and headed to Omdurman. Omdurman holds a historical importance to the Sudanese people as it hosts the Al-Mahdi’s Tomb. Born as Muhammad Ahmad bin Abd Allah, he proclaimed himself as Al-Mahdi, the new age redeemer of Islam, on June 29, 1881. He preached religion and ignited a sense of nationalism that led to the 1885 revolution — what has come to be known as the Mahdist War. Al-Mahdi led his troops to victory on January 28, 1885 when Khartoum finally fell to his hands.
The fall of the Sudanese capital announced the birth of an independent Mahdist State that lasted for five years. Unfortunately, Al-Mahdi didn’t live long to see his dream come true as he died of typhus on June 22, 1885. Al-Mahdi is buried here in Omdurman and his tomb is one of Omdurman’s key attractions. In addition, this part of Khartoum offers a great opportunity to watch a spectacular dervishing ceremony. Sufism is a form of religious devotion that adheres to the principles of Islam. It took off in Baghdad and gained momentum throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and even Andalusia. Though the Mevelvi dervishes of Turkey, with their long hats and creamy white robes, are certainly the most famous of all sufi dervishes, they are more types of dervishes subscribing to different schools, or rather tariqas.
In Sudan, Al-Qadiriyyah is the most widely spread tariqa. Its adherents wear green and red robes and come around the mausoleum of Hamad El-Nil on Friday afternoon for their weekly tradition. The tradition starts with a Madeeh, a form of praising focusing on Allah and his Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Madeeh is followed by Zikr, where the dervishes engage in a twirling form of religious dance aimed at taking them into a trance so they would get closer to God. The whirling of the dervishes is a very popular ceremony in Khartoum. Even though it has a religious nature to it, attracts most visiting tourists — something the dervishes themselves find acceptable. The last of Greater Khartoum’s three-in-one is Khartoum Bahari, an industrial part of the capital. The sole reason to visit Khartoum Bahari is to attend the weekly competition of Nuba Wrestling. The Nuba Mountains is one part of Sudan that is often associated with its wrestling tradition. Wrestling in the Nuba Mountains took off as a local custom associated with the harvest season. Later on, it became more of a competition between the different villages in the hilly Nuba Mountains. Nuba Wrestling evolved even further. It used to involve body painted half-naked men wrestling in the middle of nowhere. Now, however, they have skipped on the body paint and are fully dressed to fiercely compete in Khartoum Bahari. Even if you are not a big fan of the sport, the Nuba wrestling competition is one spectacle you don’t want to miss out on.
From whirling dervishes to local wrestlers, and from panoramic Nile views to a salvaged Christian frescos, the Sudanese capital offers an amalgam of exotic attractions that can easily fill your 48-hour visit.