Omdurman

About Omdurman

Omdurman, on the west bank of the Nile facing Khartoum, is the most Sudanese of the three cities that meet at the confluence. In the 1880s it became the capital of the Mahdist state, and its domed tomb of the Mahdi, the Khalifa's mud-brick house and the vast market still speak of that era.

The Mahdist state ended at the Battle of Omdurman in 1898, when British and Egyptian forces under Kitchener defeated the Khalifa's army on the plain of Karari to the north. The city kept growing as a centre of trade, religion and culture, home to Sudan's national theatre, its music and poetry, and Sufi orders whose Friday gatherings at the tomb of Hamed al-Nil became famous.

Since April 2023, war has caused heavy damage and displacement across the capital region, including Omdurman, and many of the places below may be damaged, closed or unsafe to reach. Treat this page as background on the city's heritage and follow official travel advice before considering any visit.