|
( Khartoum)
Khartoum (??????? al-Khar?um) is the capital of Sudan and of Khartoum State. It is located at the confluence point of the White Nile coming in from the north from Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile flowing west from Ethiopia. The location where the two Niles meet is known as "al-Mogran". The main Nile continues to flow north towards Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea. Divided by the Niles, Khartoum is a tripartite metropolis with an estimated overall population of over a million people consisting of Khartoum proper, and linked by bridges Khartoum North called (al-Khartum Bahri) and Omdurman (Umm Durman) to the west. From an article by C.E.J. Walkly[1] "The word 'Khartoum' means 'elephant’s trunk' in the dialect which was spoken locally, the name of the town is probably derived from the narrow strip of land extending between the blue and White Niles, which is like the trunk of an elephant. Captain J. A. Grant, who reached Khartoum in 1863 with Captain Speke’s expedition, thought that the derivation was most probably from the safflower (Carthamus Tinctorius L.) which is called 'Gartoon,' and which was cultivated extensively in Egypt for its oil, used in burning. This explanation is ingenious but has no support." The heavily damaged city fell to the Mahdists on January 26, 1885. Omdurman was the scene of the bloody battle on September 2, 1898, during which British forces under Horatio Kitchener defeated the Mahdist forces defending the city.
|
Khartoum Subcategories
Khartoum Articles
|
| 
