Omdurman


Omdurman is a major city in Sudan. It is the second most populous city in the country, located in the State of Khartoum. Omdurman lies on the west bank of the River Nile, opposite and northwest of the capital city of Khartoum. The city acts as an important road hub, with the Nile boosting transportation even further.

Etymology

The name Omdurman literally translates as "Mother of Durmān", but who she was or might have been is unknown.

History

After the siege of Khartoum, followed by the building of the tomb of the Mahdi after his death from typhus, the city grew rapidly. However, in the Battle of Omdurman in 1898, Lord Kitchener decisively defeated the Mahdist forces. The following year British forces defeated Abdallahi ibn Muhammad, the Khalifa, as the Battle of Umm Diwaykarat; ensuring British control over the Sudan.
In September 1898, the British army of twenty thousand well drilled men equipped with the latest arms, Maxim guns and Martini-Henry rifles under the command of General Horatio Herbert Kitchener invaded Sudan. In the battle of Omdurman, the British Army faced Sudanese defenders consisting of over 52,000 poorly armed desert tribesmen dervishes; in the space of five hours the battle was over. The Sudanese defenders suffered many casualties, with at least 10,000 killed. By contrast there were fewer than four hundred casualties on the British side with forty-eight British soldiers losing their lives. Then, General Kitchener proceeded to order the desecration of the Mahdi's tomb and in the words of Winston Churchill, "carried off the Mahdi's head in a kerosene can as a trophy".
Kitchener restored Khartoum as the capital and, from 1899 until 1956 Sudan was jointly governed by Great Britain and Egypt. Although most of the city was destroyed in the battle, the Mahdi's tomb was restored and refurbished.
On 10 May 2008, the Darfur rebel group of the Justice and Equality Movement moved into the city where they engaged in heavy fighting with Sudanese government forces. Their goal was to topple Omar Hassan al-Bashir's government.
During the Sudanese civil war, the city was occupied by the Rapid Support Forces between April 2023 and May 2025.

Geography

Neighbourhoods

Omdurman features a hot arid climate, with only the summer months seeing noticeable precipitation. The city averages a little over of precipitation per year. Based on annual mean temperatures, the city is one of the hottest major cities in the world. Temperatures routinely exceed in mid-summer.
Its average annual high temperature is, with six months of the year seeing an average monthly high temperature of at least. Furthermore, throughout the year, none of its monthly average high temperatures falls below. During the months of January and February, while daytime temperatures are generally very warm, nights are relatively cool, with average low temperatures just above.

Demographics

YearPopulation
1909 42,779
1941116,196
1956113,600
1973299,399
1983526,284
19931,271,403
2007 Estimate2,127,802
20082,395,159
20102,577,780

Education

Public universities are:
  • Karary University
  • Omdurman Islamic University
  • University of the Holy Quran and Islamic Sciences
Private universities are:
serves Omdurman.

New Khartoum International Airport

According to Sudanese officials, in 2005 a new airport facility had been proposed south of Omdurman. Arguably speaking to be within the non-defined boundaries of Omdurman, the project was estimated to be completed by 2012 with an estimated budget of $530 million.
Construction began in 2019 but as of 2021 had been suspended.
Omdurman's location in the center of the country, almost within the national capital, facilitates its connection to all the capitals and cities of the various states of Sudan, by land via paved roads and seasonal roads. Within the city, transportation varies from yellow taxis, city buses, and other buses of various sizes, known as "buses." Three-wheeled motorcycles, known as "tuk-tuks" and known in Khartoum as "raqshas," are also used, in addition to trains and Nile ferries.
Omdurman is one of the three capital cities and is therefore connected to Khartoum and Khartoum Bahri by several bridges built over the Blue and White Nile rivers.

Notable people