Sudan

Understand

History The area around the banks of the River Nile was once known as Nubia, one of the world's earliest civilisations that was the main rival of its northern neighbour, Egypt. The city of Kerma is believed to have been the capital of the first centralised Nubian state. Nubia would be annexed by Egypt in the 16th century BCE under the rule of Pharaoh Thutmose I, with its southern limits extended all the way to the city of Napata, leading to the fusion of Egyptian culture with their own native culture by the Nubians. With the weakening of Egyptian control, a de facto independent Nubian state would re-emerge in Napata, becoming the Kingdom of Kush. The Kingdom of Kush would grow in strength, eventually conquering Egypt in the 8th century BCE, thus establishing the 25th Dynasty, with its rulers popularly known as the "black pharoahs" due to the colour of their skin that stood in contrast to the lighter-skin Egyptians. The southern part of the kingdom was home to the city of Meroë, known for its Nubian pyramids, which while clearly influenced by the Egyptian ones, are also built in a distinctively Nubian architectural style, which later became the capital of the kingdom. During the height of Roman power, while Egypt was conquered by the Romans, the Kingdom of Kush managed to fend off the Romans under the leadership of the warrior queen Amanirenas, also known as the One-Eyed Queen due to having lost an eye during a battle with the Romans. Eventually, the Nubians proved so difficult to fight that the Romans agreed to a peace treaty, thus maintaining Nubia's independence. Islam was introduced to the Sudan from Egypt in the 7th century by the Arabs, who called it bilal al-Sudan, meaning "land of the Blacks". In the 16th century, the Funj Sultanate ruled the northern quarter.

See

In Khartoum/Omdurman you must see the Sufi ritual of drumming and trance dancing, about one hour before sunset and Friday prayer. These rituals take place northwest of the Nile river in Omdurman. Very welcoming, festive atmosphere. A walk around Tuti Island, situated in the middle of the confluence of the two branches of the Nile, can take about four hours. The less populated northern section is pretty, with its shady lanes, and irrigated fields, and there is a great little coffee stall under a tree on the western side. The pyramids of Meroe are 2.5 hours north of Khartoum (leave early to avoid Khartoum traffic). On the same route visit the sites of Naqa and Musawarat. Permits are required before visiting the sites. You pay at each site (which may depend on how well your driver gets along with the guards). Naqa and Musawarat are signposted beside the Nile Petrol station (about 1 hour 15 minutes north of Khartoum) and the track is fairly clear but sandy. It is probably good to carry a GPS to avoid getting lost in the bush. After 16:00 take a good coffee at the Burj Al-Fatih - also known as Corinthia hotel -, with high altitude view over Khartoum, the

Getting there

Visa

Sudanese travel visas are expensive and difficult to acquire for some nationalities in some countries or for people with an Israeli stamp in their passport. It is advisable to obtain a Sudanese visa in your home country if possible.

From Egypt: Cairo and Aswan are the easiest places to get one (usually a couple of hours after application), it costs US$150 (as of November 2022), payment is now possible in Egyptian pounds. A letter of invitation/introduction from your embassy is no longer needed. As of July 2022, a UK passport takes four days processing once handed in at the Cairo office, US$150 paid in absolutely pristine banknotes plus two small passport photos and the paper form filled in, as given there. The tourist visa is for two calendar months from date of issue; it is all written in Arabic. Your declared first hotel name is scrawled against the sponsor on the visa sticker, but a specific hotel booking doesn't seem needed despite indications for this elsewhere. It's a somewhat confused process where showing lots of deferrence and patience is required. They say a COVID-19 negative test taken within three days is needed at the border but no vaccine or quarantine, nor restrictions on entry or exit points. The embassy for visas in Cairo is near Dokki metro station, turning left onto Dokki street, following the flyover and then taking the last right hand side turning to the end, past the small hospital. From Ethiopia - getting a visa from the Sudanese Embassy in Addis Ababa is extremely unpredictable, although it is cheaper (around US$60). Your name is first sent to Khartoum merely for approval. An official has stated, "It could take two weeks, it could take two months." Once your name has been approved, the visa itself only takes a couple of days. Britons and

Getting around

By plane

Apart from Khartoum, there are small airports in Wadi Halfa, El Debba, Dongola, Port Sudan, El Fasher, Wad Madani, Merowe and El Obeid, all served by Sudan Airways. Most flights operate from Khartoum. Be prepared for changing timetables and cancelled flights.

By train Although Sudan has one of the largest rail networks in Africa much of it is in a state of disrepair. There is reason for optimism about train travel in Sudan again. The Nile Express, with new trains brought in from China, now whisks passengers between Khartoum and Atbara on renovated tracks. More tracks are being renovated but for now other services are limited to local trains around the capital Khartoum, a weekly service from Wadi Halfa, timed with the ferry to/from Egypt, and a very sporadic service with Nyala. The sole operator of trains in Sudan is the Sudan Railways Corporation.

By car

Driving in Sudan is chaotic but not especially dangerous by African standards. Visitors to the area who are inexperienced at international driving are advised to hire a taxi or a driver. In most of the country, a 4WD is essential; Sudan's main highway is sealed for much of the way but most of the roads in the country are dirt or sand tracks. Crossing in to Sudan from Egypt via the ferry from Aswan to Wadi Halfa now has the benefit of the Chinese financed tarmac highway covering the 400 km south to Dongola, and then right through to Khartoum, another 500 km. This road is quick for overlanders as there are few military roadblocks, and very little other traffic.

By bus

While buses do run frequently in the better travelled areas, in remoter areas people tend to use trucks or "boxes" (Toyota Hiluxes) - they're usually just as crowded as the buses but have fewer people sitting on top and get stuck in