Khartoum

Khartoum, also spelled Khartum, is the capital city of Sudan. It is the largest city in the country, with about 7.1 million people. The city is where the White Nile and the Blue Nile meet. This place is called al-Mogran or al-Muqran, meaning "The Confluence."

Khartoum has three parts: Khartoum proper, Khartoum North, and Omdurman. These areas are connected by bridges.

The city was founded in 1821 by Muhammad Ali Pasha. It became important for government when Sudan was ruled by Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. Later, in 1956, it became the capital of an independent Sudan.

Today, Khartoum is a center for business and trade in North Africa. It has important places such as the National Museum of Sudan and the University of Khartoum.

Etymology

The name Khartoum might come from different places. Some think it means "place where rivers meet" in Dinka, because two rivers join there. Others think it comes from an Arabic word for "trunk" or "hose", describing the narrow land between the rivers.

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

History

See also: Timeline of Khartoum

19th century

In 1821, Khartoum was built 24 km (15 mi) north of the old city of Soba by Isma'il Kamil Pasha, the son of Egypt's ruler, Muhammad Ali Pasha. It started as a small post for the Egyptian Army. In 1823, Khartoum became an important place for the government and grew quickly. It became a center for trade between Ethiopia and Egypt.

In 1854, heavy rains and floods damaged much of the city. It was rebuilt with stronger houses made from mud and stones. Khartoum also had foreign offices and became a place for religion. Trade was closed by Egypt that year, but some trade continued in secret near the Blue Nile, the Nuba Mountains, and the White Nile.

In 1884, soldiers fought to take over Khartoum. The city was taken, and many people were hurt or taken away. The city was destroyed and left empty.

When Sudan recovered in 1898, Khartoum became the capital again. Leader Herbert Kitchener rebuilt the city and allowed people to practice their beliefs freely.

20th century

The city grew fast with new leaders. New buildings showed styles from other lands mixed with local designs. A college opened in 1903, and a railway reached the coast by 1919. Many people moved to the city from the countryside. 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, an event happened at an embassy in Khartoum, and some people were hurt.

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

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

In the early 1990s, a leader lived in Khartoum until he left the country in 1996. In 1998, the United States attacked a medicine factory in Khartoum.

21st century

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

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 where the Blue Nile and the White Nile meet.

The city is flat and sits 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. 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 for about one month, mostly in August, with very little 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, about 250,000 people from Syria lived in Khartoum. They made up around 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 without a special travel permit.

Economy

After an important agreement, Sudan started many big building projects. In 2007, Khartoum worked on 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 a key place for learning in Sudan. There are four main school levels:

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 tests to move to high school.
3. Upper secondary school and high school. Students learn subjects such as 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. The city grew quickly, so the airport stays 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. The biggest museum is the National Museum of Sudan, with items from Sudan's past, including old temples.

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

In popular culture

Literature

Khartoum's history and culture have inspired many books. In "Reading Khartoum," the city is shown as a place changed by movement and political changes. Poetry in Arabic also captures the city's unique look and feel.

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 people 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.