The capital of Sudan is called Khartoum and is located near the center of the country. Khartoum itself has about 2 million people, while the entire surrounding area totals about 8 million inhabitants. On the upper left is a photo of downtown Khartoum, on the right are some students that were more that happy to have their photo taken. All the Sudanese I came across in Sudan were friendly, but there was one guy who in his 20s that seemed to be stalking me for a short bit and I got the vibe he didn’t like me because I was a foreigner, but maybe he was just to shy to say hello.

Sudan is a unique country as it is a mix of Arabic and African culture with an Islamic faith. On the left is a face mask created by one of Sudan’s many tribes seen in a Khartoum museum. The center photo is a typical scene that you would expect to see in Africa and the middle east, on the right is a mosque in Khartoum. I was surprised to see occasional Sudanese Christians walking the city and even a large cathedral in Khartoum that seemed to get along peacefully. Since I’ve not lived here in Sudan it’s too difficult to judge the true struggles of minorities and learn the politics, but on a travelers level the Christians Sudanese I saw seemed to be treated with respect and enjoy their life here in Khartoum.

Above are some photos of people in Sudan. The majority of the people from Sudan are black, with a small percentage in the north having a more middle easterner look. On the left is a photo of some people in a market in a village outside Khartoum. I’m not sure if they were happy that I took their photo with the exception of the smiling guy, but the guy on the right was too involved in his book to even notice.

The Nile river is the longest river in the world, and begins as the blue Nile in Ethiopia and the white Nile in Uganda. Sudan’s capital of Khartoum was built along the Nile River where a constant supply of water made life possible in the otherwise dry and hot environment. It is here in Khartoum, where both the blue and white Niles meet and continue north to Egypt as one river. On the upper left is a photo of the Niles meeting, with the white Nile coming in from the left and the blue Nile coming in from the right side of the photo. To get a real shot of the Niles meeting I would need to take an aerial photograph or at least a high vantage point. The Nile River is just as important to the people of Sudan today as it was thousands of years ago. On the left, people take rich soil from the banks of the Nile to create bricks to build homes. Above is a photo of a small hut where wood carvings and even a boat are being built using the trees and plants that grow along the river.

These pictures was taken farther south from Khartoum, but you can see that even today in modern times the Nile creates a challenge for people trying to travel across the country. Above are photos of cars and people being transported back and forth across the Blue Nile. Even in the capital, I had to take a small boat to cross one portion of the Nile since at the time of my visit a very large bridge nearby was still under construction. It looked about halfway completed and I think it will be the largest bridge in Khartoum once it’s completed.

Just outside of Khartoum is the city of Omdurman, what could be considered the cultural capital of the country. There are many things to see in this city, but the Suq of Omdurman is by far the most interesting place I came across. The Suq of Omdurman is essentially the country’s main market place, but its size and variety make it stand out from others that I have been to in various nations. The Suq is made up of a maze of large alleys and corridors each with its own theme. I came across one selling toys, a meat market, and leather.

I think what really made the Suq interesting was how they often stacked so many of their goods in such a small area. I passed by some alleys that had mountains of products on the street or walls that were completely covered with shoes and sandals while other goods where tied to the ceiling. Above is a photo of the shoe and sandal section and meat market, below you can see the inside of two of the shops in the Suq.

During my visit to Sudan I got the opportunity to visit a Sudanese home in a random village. During one of my road trips my driver allowed me to stay with his family south of Khartoum. I wasn’t sure what to expect, so I was surprised how modern the inside of the home was. The pretty much have everything you’d expect in any other house, a kitchen, living room, bedroom, electricity, and even a TV. The only thing the house lacked was running water, and maybe equally important for some people, no internet.

On the left is myself visiting one of the Sudanese families a few hours south of Khartoum. They were some of the nicest and most hospitable people I have ever met! I was invited to dinner and to rest in their home as if it was mine and since there are no hotels south of Khartoum, I even ended up spending the night here. On the right is a photo of their dinner, many different foods served with bread that is shared with everyone at the table, notice there is no silverware or individual plates. You mostly eat with your hands and share food from the same bowls.