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vest, marriage, death, war, hunting, chivalry and
religious rites. The Kambala of the Nuba Mountains
in the mid-west, the ‘leap dance’ of the Dinka in the
south, the Nuggara of the Misseiriya in the south-
west, the ‘sword dance’ of the Bija in the northeast,
the Barabra dance of the Halfa people in the far
north and the Shaiqiya dance in which maidens imi-
tate pigeons. Dancing is performed collectively and
reflects close ties with the land. A common feature
of dancing is the personification of the prevailing
kingdom animalia of the specified region.
Handicraft
The handicraft is a cultural folklore heritage of many
tribes. The Sudanese people use different kind of
natural material to produce everyday life objects:
grass is used to create mat, table covers or bas-
kets. The “Mashlaeb” is a small basket hanged to
the ceiling of the room to save food from animals.
Marble is used to manufacture jars and “Jabana”
coffee pots. Leather is widely used for scabbards or
shoes to create and nomads create liquid containers
out of it to travel. Wood allows producing furniture
or other objects like the “Hog” which is a small can,
used by Sudanese women as a container for their
private perfumes. However, local handicraft is suf-
fering from the rise in prices and poor quality of the
raw material.
Capital & Environs
Introduction to the capital
Khartoum is the heart of Sudan, both geographically
and economically. It gathers the headquarters of the
main companies and organizations and thus offers a
large range of activities and touristic spots. It is situ-
ated exactly where the Blue Nile and the White Nile
merge to form the River Nile. The city got its name
from the triangle of land at the junction of the rivers
as it looks like an elephant trunk: “Khurtum”.
Sudanese handicraft
Downtown Khartoum
Khartoum is characterized by its very peaceful at-
mosphere, especially in the evening. The capital is
divided into three different areas: Khartoum, Khar-
toum North (Bahri) and Omdurman, each one being
located on a different side of the Niles.
Khartoum centre gathers the main infrastructures
and facilities: the airport, the hotels and restau-
rants, the different kind of agencies, ministers and
the presidential palace. This latter was constructed
in 1834 by the Turkish ruler Khorshid Basha and is
one of the main historical building of the city. The ar-
chitecture of the area is quite varied, with a mix old
and brand new buildings, churches and mosques,
industrial areas and gardens.
Khartoum North is a very industrial area where most
of the factories can be found. It also hosts the Nu-
bian wrestling in Souk al Sita which is worth seeing.
Omdurman is the ancient capital and is very wide-
spread and populated. It still has some vestiges
from the past such as the fortress of the Mahdi State
period or the Abdul Kayoum Gate. In fact, Omdur-
man witnessed the battle between the British, led by
Lord Kitchener and the Mahdists back in 1898You
can also visit the boatyard there, just off shore of
the Abu Raouf district, on the western side of the
Nile, they still manufacture traditional boats the old
way, or Khalifa’s house. He was the second in com-
mand of El Mahdi and his place has been turned
into a museum. The city is also rich in universities
and sports club. Several bridges link it to Khartoum