Omdurman

Largest city in Khartoum State, Sudan

This article is about the city. For the battle, see Battle of Omdurman.

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City in Khartoum State, Sudan

Omdurman

أم درمان

City

Omdurman Market

Omdurman

Coordinates: 15°39′N 32°29′E﻿ / ﻿15.650°N 32.483°E﻿ / 15.650; 32.483
Country|  Sudan
State| Khartoum State
Area

• Total| 614.9 km2 (237.4 sq mi)
Elevation

| 178 m (584 ft)
Population

(2008)

• Total| 2,395,159[citation needed]
Time zone| UTC+2 (Central Africa Time)

Omdurmán (Arabic: أم درمان, romanized: Umm Durmān) is a major city in Sudan. It is the second most populous city in the country, and thus also in the State of Khartoum. Omdurman lies on the west bank of the River Nile, opposite and northwest of the capital city of Khartoum. It is on the Nile river and acts as an important road hub, with the Nile boosting transportation even further.

## Etymology[edit]

The name Omdurman (Umm Durmān) literally translates as "Mother of Durmān", but who she was or might have been is unknown.[1]

## History[edit]

The Battle of Omdurman in 1898 A sketch map of Omdurman with Khartoum and Bahri. The White Nile flowing from the south is joined by the Blue Nile flowing from the east. Bridge over the White Nile which connects the city to Khartoum

After the siege of Khartoum, followed by the building there of the tomb of the Mahdi after his death from typhus, the city grew rapidly. However, in the Battle of Omdurman in 1898 (which actually took place in the nearby village of Kerreri), 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".[2]

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.[3][4][5]

During the 2023 Sudan conflict the Battle of Omdurman broke out.[6]

## Geography[edit]

### Neighbourhoods[edit]

* Ombadda

## Climate[edit]

Omdurman features a hot arid climate, with only the summer months seeing noticeable precipitation. The city averages a little over 155 millimetres (6.1 in) of precipitation per year. Based on annual mean temperatures, the city is one of the hottest major cities in the world. Temperatures routinely exceed 40 °C (104 °F) in mid-summer.

Its average annual high temperature is 37.1 °C (99 °F), with six months of the year seeing an average monthly high temperature of at least 38 °C (100 °F). Furthermore, throughout the year, none of its monthly average high temperatures falls below 30 °C (86 °F). During the months of January and February, while daytime temperatures are generally very warm, nights are relatively cool, with average low temperatures just above 15 °C (59 °F).

Climate data for Omdurman

Month  | Jan  | Feb  | Mar  | Apr  | May  | Jun  | Jul  | Aug  | Sep  | Oct  | Nov  | Dec  | Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)  | 30.8
(87.4)  | 33.0
(91.4)  | 36.8
(98.2)  | 40.1
(104.2)  | 41.9
(107.4)  | 41.3
(106.3)  | 38.4
(101.1)  | 37.3
(99.1)  | 39.1
(102.4)  | 39.3
(102.7)  | 35.2
(95.4)  | 31.8
(89.2)  | 37.1
(98.8)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)  | 15.6
(60.1)  | 17.0
(62.6)  | 20.5
(68.9)  | 23.6
(74.5)  | 27.1
(80.8)  | 27.3
(81.1)  | 25.9
(78.6)  | 25.3
(77.5)  | 26.0
(78.8)  | 25.5
(77.9)  | 21.0
(69.8)  | 17.1
(62.8)  | 22.7
(72.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches)  | 0
(0)  | 0
(0)  | 0
(0)  | 0
(0)  | .4
(0.02)  | 4.0
(0.16)  | 46.3
(1.82)  | 75.2
(2.96)  | 25.4
(1.00)  | 4.8
(0.19)  | .7
(0.03)  | 0
(0)  | 156.8
(6.18)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 0  | 0  | .1  | .1  | .9  | 1.2  | 4.8  | 4.8  | 3.2  | 1.2  | 0  | 0  | 16.3
Average relative humidity (%)  | 27  | 22  | 17  | 16  | 19  | 28  | 43  | 49  | 40  | 28  | 27  | 30  | 29
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 141  | 211  | 260  | 330  | 360  | 390  | 400  | 390  | 365  | 300  | 260  | 180  | 3,587
Source 1: World Meteorological Organisation (UN) [7]
Source 2: BBC Weather [8]

## Demographics[edit]

Omdurman is on the western side of the Nile river, opposite Khartoum. Sufi dervishes in Omdurman Year  | Population

|

1909 (Census)[9] | 42,779
1941  | 116,196
1956  | 113,600
1973  | 299,399
1983  | 526,284
1993  | 1,271,403
2007 Estimate  | 2,127,802
2008  | 2,395,159[citation needed]
2010  | 2,577,780[citation needed]

## Education[edit]

Public universities are:[10]

* Karary University
* Omdurman Islamic University
* University of the Holy Quran and Islamic Sciences

Private universities are:[11]

* Ahfad University for Women
* Omdurman Ahlia University
* University of Science and Technology - Omdurman

## Airport[edit]

Halfaya Bridge on the Nile linking Omdurman and Khartoum North

Khartoum Airport serves Omdurman.

### New Khartoum International Airport[edit]

According to Sudanese officials, in 2005 a new airport facility had been proposed 30 miles (50 km) 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.[12] Construction began in 2019 but as of 2021 had been suspended.[13]

## See also[edit]

* Al-Nilin Mosque
* Bant (Omdurman)
* Khalifa House Museum

## References[edit]

1. ^ Robert S. Kramer; Richard A. Lobban Jr.; Carolyn Fluehr-Lobban (2013). Historical Dictionary of the Sudan. Plymouth, UK: Scarecrow Press. p. 338\. ISBN 978-0-8108-7940-9.
2. ^ Ferguson, Niall (2003). EMPIRE, How Britain Made the Modern World. London England: Penguin Books. pp. 267–272. ISBN 978-0-141-00754-0.
3. ^ Curfew in capital as Sudanese army clash near Khartoum with Darfur rebels Archived 4 November 2019 at the Wayback Machine \- Sudan Tribune 2008-05-10
4. ^ Sudanese rebels 'reach Khartoum' Archived 18 April 2019 at the Wayback Machine \- BBC News 2008-05-10
5. ^ PHOTOS: Sudan capital after today's attack from Darfur JEM Archived 16 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine \- Sudan Tribune 2008-05-10
6. ^ "Further clashes between military factions in Khartoum". 5 June 2023. `{{cite journal}}`: Cite journal requires `|journal=` (help)
7. ^ "World Weather Information Service – Omdurman". UN. Archived from the original on 6 February 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2010.
8. ^ "Average Conditions Omdurman, Sudan". BBC Weather. Archived from the original on 6 September 2010. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
9. ^ Chisholm 1911.
10. ^ "Sudanese higher education". Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research. Archived from the original on 29 November 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
11. ^ "Universities of Sudan". Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Archived from the original on 19 March 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
12. ^ "Sudan to Build New Airport". Arab Times. 16 May 2005. Archived from the original on 11 June 2005.
13. ^ "Why growing is a pain at Khartoum". Times Aerospace. 31 March 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2023.

## External links[edit]

* Media related to Omdurman at Wikimedia Commons
* "Omdurman" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 20 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 101.

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