Khartoum

Khartoum, also spelled Khartum, is the capital city of Sudan and the largest urban area in the country, with about 7.1 million people. It is located where the White Nile and the Blue Nile meet, a place known as al-Mogran or al-Muqran, meaning "The Confluence." The city is made up of three parts: Khartoum proper, Khartoum North, and Omdurman, all connected by bridges.

Khartoum was founded in 1821 by Muhammad Ali Pasha. It has played an important role in history, including being a seat of government for Anglo-Egyptian Sudan and later becoming the capital of an independent Sudan in 1956. Today, Khartoum is an economic and trade center in North Africa, with important institutions such as the National Museum of Sudan and the University of Khartoum.

Etymology

The name Khartoum has many possible origins. Some believe it comes from the Dinka language, meaning "place where rivers meet", because Khartoum is where two rivers join. Another idea is that it comes from an Arabic word for "trunk" or "hose", describing the narrow land between the rivers.

There are also other theories. One suggests it might come from an Arabic word for a type of plant. Some Nubian scholars think it means "the abode of a god". And Beja scholars propose it means "meeting". Each of these ideas gives a different meaning to the city's name.

History

See also: Timeline of Khartoum

19th century

In 1821, Khartoum was established 24 km (15 mi) north of the ancient city of Soba, by Isma'il Kamil Pasha, the third son of Egypt's ruler, Muhammad Ali Pasha, who had just incorporated Sudan into his realm. Originally, Khartoum served as an outpost for the Egyptian Army. Egypt shifted the seat of the colonial government from Wad Madani to Khartoum in 1823, which became a permanent settlement and grew quickly in the next decades. With its new importance, Khartoum became a center for trade, located on the route from Ethiopia to Egypt, and also became a focal point for trade that was not allowed.

A big change happened in 1854 when much of the city was destroyed by heavy rains and floods. It was rebuilt with houses made from mud and stones instead of straw. Khartoum also became home to several foreign offices and a religious center. Pressure from other countries made Egypt close the city’s trade market in 1854, although trade continued in secret from places around the Blue Nile and the Nuba Mountains, as well as along the White Nile.

In 1884, soldiers began a long fight to take over Khartoum. After months, the city was taken over, and many people were taken away or hurt. The city was destroyed and left empty.

With Sudan's recovery in 1898, Khartoum became the capital again. New leader Herbert Kitchener began rebuilding the city with a plan shaped like a famous symbol. He allowed people to practice their beliefs freely and stopped efforts to change others’ beliefs.

20th century

The city grew fast under new leaders. New buildings were made in styles from other lands, mixing local designs with outside ideas. A college opened in 1903, and a railway reached the coast by 1919. These changes brought many people from the countryside to the city. By 1930, over 50,000 people lived there. Khartoum kept growing after Sudan became independent in 1956. New places like a big sports area, a school, and a bank were built. By 1964, the population grew to 185,000, and by 1973, it reached 334,000.

In 1973, a group took people hostage in an embassy in Khartoum. Sadly, some people were hurt during this event.

In 1977, a pipeline was built to carry oil to the coast. In 1978, an important meeting of leaders from Africa happened in Khartoum.

During the 1970s and 1980s, many people from nearby countries came to Khartoum to escape fighting in their homes. Some settled in the city, while others lived in areas far from the center.

In the early 1990s, a leader bought houses in Khartoum and lived there until he left the country in 1996. In 1998, the United States attacked a medicine factory in Khartoum after accusations about a group linked to the leader.

21st century

In 2005, the sudden death of a leader caused three days of unrest in Khartoum.

In 2006, important meetings of leaders from Africa and Arab countries were held in Khartoum.

In 2008, a group tried to take over Khartoum but was stopped by the government.

In October 2012, an explosion happened at a factory, hurting a few people.

In April 2023, fighting broke out in Khartoum between two groups. The fighting stopped in March 2025 when one group took control of the city.

Geography

Location

Khartoum is located where the Blue Nile and the White Nile meet.

The city is flat, sitting at a height of 385 meters above sea level. The Nile River flows past nearby areas toward Shendi, which is about 163 kilometers away.

Climate

Khartoum has a hot desert climate. It is very dry most of the year, with little rain—only about eight months have almost no rainfall at all. The dry season has two parts: a warm, dry time from November to February and a very hot, dry time from March to May. During these months, dry winds from the deserts pass through the area.

Rain comes only for about one month, mostly in August, with very little total rain for the whole year. Temperatures are very high, often above 40 °C from April to June and still warm in September and October. Even the coolest month, January, stays above 15 °C at night. Khartoum is one of the hottest big cities in the world, with average temperatures around 30 °C all year.

Demographics

As of 2019, around 250,000 people from Syria lived in Khartoum, making up about 5% of the city's population. Most of these people were young men who had to leave their homes because of war in Syria. Sudan was special because it allowed people with Syrian passports to visit even if they did not have a special travel permit.

Economy

After an important agreement was signed between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, Sudan started many big building projects. In 2007, Khartoum worked on big projects like the Al-Mogran Development Project, two luxury hotels, a new airport, El Mek Nimr Bridge (finished in October 2007), and Tuti Bridge linking Khartoum to Tuti Island.

In the 21st century, Khartoum grew using Sudan's oil money, though this changed after South Sudan became independent in 2011. The city has many trees along its main streets and is where most of Sudan's business happens. Now, other places in Sudan are also growing, like areas where oil is found, big factories, sugar farms, and a large dam.

Khartoum has many jobs in printing, making glass, processing food, and textiles. It also makes fuel and has one of Sudan's biggest oil refineries.

Retailing

Souq al Arabi is Khartoum's biggest open market. It has many sections, including one just for gold, and is near a big mosque and a bus station.

Al Qasr Street and Al Jamhoriyah Street are very famous shopping streets in Khartoum State.

Afra Mall is in the southern area of Arkeweet. It has a supermarket, shops, coffee places, a bowling alley, movie theaters, and a playground for children.

In 2011, Sudan opened part of the new Corinthia Hotel Tower, including its hotel section and some food places. The shopping area is still being built.

Education

Main article: Education in Khartoum

Khartoum is an important place for education in Sudan. There are four main levels of school:

1. Kindergarten and day-care. This starts when children are about 3–4 years old and lasts for 1–2 years.
2. Elementary school. Children start here at about 6–7 years old. They study for 8 years and then take exams to move to high school.
3. Upper secondary school and high school. Here, students learn subjects like chemistry, biology, physics, and geography. This level has three grades for children aged about 14–18 years.
4. Higher education. Khartoum has many universities and colleges, including the University of Khartoum and Sudan University of Science and Technology.

Transportation

Khartoum has the biggest airport in Sudan, called Khartoum International Airport. This airport is the main place for Sudan Airways, the country's biggest airline. Even though there were plans for a new airport farther away, the city grew so fast that the airport stays right in the middle of town.

People in Khartoum mostly travel by road, using buses or cars. Some buses are owned by private companies.

Khartoum has many bridges over the Nile rivers. The Mac Nimir Bridge, the Blue Nile Road & Railway Bridge, the Cooper Bridge, and the Elmansheya Bridge cross the Blue Nile, linking Khartoum to Khartoum North. The Omdurman Bridge, the Victory Bridge, and the Al-Dabbasin Bridge cross the White Nile, connecting Khartoum to Omdurman. The Tuti Bridge joins Tuti Island to Khartoum. Before this bridge was built in 2008, people on Tuti Island used water taxis to travel across the Blue Nile to Khartoum.

Khartoum also has train lines coming from Wadi Halfa, Port Sudan on the Red Sea, and El Obeid. These trains are run by Sudan Railways.

Architecture

The buildings in Khartoum show the city's long history, starting from the early 1800s. You can see styles from Sudanese people, Turkish visitors, British influence, and modern designs. The way people build in Sudan has many different shapes, materials, and uses.

After Sudan became independent, new technology and ideas helped create fresh building designs and construction methods.

Culture

Khartoum has many interesting places to visit and learn about. The biggest museum is the National Museum of Sudan, which has items from different times in Sudan's past. It even has old temples brought from places far away.

There are also special gardens, like the National Botanical Garden, where you can see many plants. Khartoum has many clubs for people to enjoy, and many places where people can pray, mostly Muslim mosques, but also Christian churches and temples.

In popular culture

Literature

Khartoum's special history and culture have inspired many books. In "Reading Khartoum," the city is shown as a place changed by movement, political changes, and cultural shifts. Poetry written in Arabic also captures the city's unique look and feel, making it stand out from other cities in Arab and African cultures.

Movies

• Song of Khartoum (1955)
• Khartoum (1966 film) (1966)
• Khartoum Offside (2019)

Notable people

Khartoum is the birthplace of many talented people. Sara Berkai, an Eritrean and British social enterprise founder and STEM educator, was born there. Other notable individuals from Khartoum include Sudanese photographer Mohamed Altoum, visual artist and architect Amna Elhassan, Sudanese-American artist Mohammad Omer Khalil, visual artist Alaa Satir, singers Mahmoud Abdulaziz and Alsarah, and musician Mazin Hamid.