Mahdi: Face to Face with the Confluence of White and Blue Niles in Sudan

Sunday Trust can reveal that even before the war, Khartoum had become a remarkable centre of world’s wonders, as the name itself refers to the convergence of the White Nile River and the Blue Nile River. In Dinka language of the Southern Sudan, Khartoum tells the story of the myth of the twin River Nile. […]

Sunday Trust can reveal that even before the war, Khartoum had become a remarkable centre of world’s wonders, as the name itself refers to the convergence of the White Nile River and the Blue Nile River. In Dinka language of the Southern Sudan, Khartoum tells the story of the myth of the twin River Nile.

It is at the centre of this country that the White Nile which traces its roots from the Lake Victoria in Uganda, meets the Blue Nile that comes from the eastern side of Ethiopia, from the famous Lake Tana. The two rivers meet at a place now called Khartoum.

In the far western side of the Nile, from where the two Niles meet, lies a historical fence that was built several hundreds of years ago to fortify the western county of Omdurma. Omdurma is one of the three independent but conjoined cities that formed Khartoum. The other two are Khartoum itself and Bahrain.

The Omdurman fence was a fortified city gate that protected the mainland from the invasions of Egyptians and later of imperialist Great Britain.

It was on the bank of this great convergent point that the famous Mahdi Ahmed Dongora fought and defeated an army of over 10,000 Great Britain imperialists.

the reign of the al-mahdis in sudan

Sunday Trust findings have it that long before the emergence of the Al-Mahdis, however, the history of the people of Sudan had been remarkable since around 1797 after the victory over the Caucasian ruling class of Egypt.

A new dynasty emerged that saw the rise of Sudan and the country became famous as the land of the Blacks.

However, by 1844 the first Al-Mahdi emerged and by 1881 he declared war as he prepared to purify what he saw as a country contaminated by the religious teachings of Islam by the invading Egypt and the emerging imperialists.

Al-Mahdi rallied the small tribes of Sudan to fight the Egyptians and   by the early 1884 Al-Mahdi became the   leader of Sudan. This conquest did not go down well with the British, who sent General Gordon to remove Sudan from the grip of Ahmed Al-Mahdi .

He defeated the British Army within   317 days and killed over 10,000 soldiers. He then began the merger of the two great cities of Khartoum and Omdurman. After the death of Al-Mahdi Ahmed Dongola, AL-Mahdi Khalifa Abdullah became the new leader and Sudan continued under the leadership of another religious enigma

Few months after, however, the entire country plunged into a civil war. Al-Mahdi Khalifa  fell sick and was later defeated by the British Army under General Kitchener who invaded  Omdurman as the imperialists avenged the earlier defeat by his predecessor.

the british revenge

General Kitchener killed and dismembered the body of Khalifa and buried some parts in his compound. He brought an end to one of the most celebrated religious dynasties that ever ruled Sudan.

When Sunday Trust visited the house of A-Mahdi Khalifa Abdullahi, now one of the most visited tourist sites in Sudan, it was closed for the day, but after much persuasion by our guide, the friendly-looking tourism guards allowed us entrance.

The houses were built decades ago, the mud building contains the first car that Queen Elizabeth used during her visit to the country in 1936.

In the house still stands the Al-Mahdi rooms, a mosque and his belongings. The place where General Kitchener killed Al-Mahdi Khalifa while praying was turned into a tomb. Many of his hand written pamphlets are showcased for visitors.

After the emergence of Sudan as a state, however, the remains of Al-Mahdi Khalifa was exhumed and buried in his famous tomb opposite his former house.

al-mahdi’s house  now tourist site

The place is now a world’s reserved museum of Sudanese history and a pilgrimage site of sorts, as hundreds of followers from around the world pray at the tomb for blessing.

It was one of the most cherished activities by the Sudanese people, according to Dr Hani Abdulrehman who teaches history at the Khartoum University.

“The place of the Al-Mahdis in the history of Sudan is sacrosanct as people will forever continue to revere them,” Abdulrehman said

According to him their intervention was responsible for the emergence of Sudan as an independent state in the comity of nations and their history is already written in gold for this.

Several people interviewed narrated vividly the story of the Al-Mahdi interventions in Sudan history. Khalid Ahmed Bushra asserted that there is hardly any household in the country that has not named one of their children after Al-Mahdi.

‘They are a phenomenon in our culture and history and even among non-Muslims because they brought together all Sudanese under one umbrella when they were regarded as slaves,” Bashra disclosed.

Sunday Trust findings showed that long before the emergence of Al-Mahdi Ahmed Dongora, Sudanese were regarded more or less as slaves and were taken as such especially by their Egyptian Arab neighbors.

“Our people were in bondage, they were like slaves until the Al-Mahdi’s revolution that brought self recognition and removed the chains of savagery that we were long encased in by both Egyptians and the British imperialists,” Dr Abdulrehman Hani said.

Despite the happenings decades ago, the Al-Mahdis intervention still resonates and rouses deep feelings of appreciation of AL-Mahdis.

“Till today, the families of these people are regarded with utmost respect. They have greatly influenced social life and politics and other aspects of our national life,’ Hani said

He gave the example of former Prime Minister Sadiq Al-Mahdi who is from the Khalifa Al-Mahdi family as one person that commands deep respect in Sudan politics and religion.

The Al-Mahdi legacy is today one of the main faces of tourism that blossom in the country as thousands of tourists travel to see the remnants of a great history.

Their involvement in the politics and religion of the country has left enduring marks as the country continues to be run in accordance with their preaching of how an Islamic state should be.

the confluence of blue and white nile

Today, as tourists move from the Omdurman fence, as they sail through the point where the White and Blue Niles meet, history re-echoes. Guides narrate the courage of these religious warriors who by their actions carved a new identity for the people of Sudan.

Few metres away from this point of convergence is the National Assembly complex overseeing the great Niles where the fight of Omdurman was fought. And a little far away stands the famous dome of Al-Mahdi.

In the eastern side of the Omdurman fence, towards the city centre, lies the majestic Burj  Alfateh complex. This great architectural master piece houses the Arab Investment Building, a symbol of the economic status of Sudan.

From the great Blue Nile, tourists moving in modern boats and ferries can catch a glimpse of the battle field that now boasts of skyscrapers as well as the large green land that still produces agricultural needs of the Khartoum people.

The banks of the Niles were decorated to make tourist visits fanciful, with fishermen, clubs and recreation facilities adorning the area.

Across the Nile is the famous Friendship Hall. This is a hall constructed to host conferences, entertainment ceremonies, and meetings. The hall was meant, on the whole, to serve unification value for the people of Sudan.

The White and Blue Niles are believed to possess powers of survival, as one driver Mahmoud Bashir said.

“The Niles are a source of power and life and as you can see, most parts of Khartoum are still fed by the waters of these Niles,” Hani said, revealing that  his great grandparents made prophecies on the greatness of the Niles and how they would bring honour and greatness to Sudan.

“And today we are seeing that greatness as people from all over the world come here to see the Niles,” he said.

another cultural event

After enjoying our boating around the two Niles with our guide Abubaker Ahmed Mohamed Al Kheir of the Ahfad University for Women, we visited another cultural event that showcases the reverence for these great scholars by the Sudanese people. It is called the visit to graves.

Every Friday, millions of Sudanese people converge at hundreds of graves to celebrate the life of the great revivalists and their successors.

At the Shiekh Hamadal Nile thousands of Muslims gather to pray for his life and the life of many other heroes buried in the cemetery. The prayer warriors wielding sticks and sorceries dance to gospel music in the cemetery.

The Sudanese in their ages: young, old, women, and men dressed in their best, converge to honour the dead and receive blessings.

Three major tombs, including that of Shiekh Hamadal, were decorated with beautiful domes, colorful wrappers and several perfumes blowing over visitors and all who turn up for the celebration.

Tourists from around the world were there to watch the celebration as the praises of the Al-mighty God rented the air. The same is said to occur in all the graves across the country every Friday.

We also visited Afra stores and the Arabi markets. Here the kola nuts sellers are Hausas from Niger Republic.

Khartoum can also be described as a massive tea canteen where at every interval of few meters seats a local tea seller. Tea is life to the people here as tea centres outnumber any other sets of shops across the extensive city.

In addition to all this, the country is blessed with mouth watering cuisines and junk food centres are to be seen in every nook and cranny of the city and along major highways and streets. Eating is a huge hobby here.

I stayed in Khartoum for two weeks. I observed in that time that although the country has been in war for years, electricity is stable.