Editing Omdurman

{{Short description|Largest city in Khartoum State, Sudan}}
{{About|the city|the 1898 battle|Battle of Omdurman}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Expand Arabic|topic=geo|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Omdurman
| native_name        = {{lang|ar| Oromoo haadha Abdurrahmaanأم درمان}}
| settlement_type    = [[List of cities in Sudan|City]]
| nickname           = 
| image_skyline      = Omdurman Market.JPG
| image_caption      = Omdurman Market
| image_flag         = Omdurman Locality Flag.png
| image_seal         = 
| image_map          = 
| mapsize            = 
| map_caption        = 
| pushpin_map        = Sudan
| pushpin_label      = Omdurman
| pushpin_label_position = center
| subdivision_type   = [[Countries of the world|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = {{flag|Sudan}}
| subdivision_type1  = [[States of Sudan|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Khartoum State]]
| leader_title       = 
| leader_name        = 
| area_total_km2     = 614.9
| area_land          = 
| area_water         = 
| population_as_of   = 2025
| population_note    = 
| population_total   = 1,200,000<ref>{{cite web |title=Sudan Population (2025) - Worldometer |url=https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/sudan-population/ |website=www.worldometers.info |language=en}}</ref>
| population_footnotes = 
| population_metro   = 
| population_density = 
| timezone           = [[Central Africa Time]]
| utc_offset         = +2
| coordinates        = {{coord|15|39|N|32|29|E|region:SD|display=inline,title}}
| elevation_m        = 178
| website            = 
| footnotes          = 
}}
'''Omdurman''' ({{langx|ar|أم درمان|Umm Durmān}}) is a major city in [[Sudan]]. It is the second most populous city in the country, located in the [[Khartoum (state)|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 (''Umm Durmān'') literally translates as "Mother of Durmān", but who she was or might have been is unknown.<ref name="Historical Dictionary">{{cite book|author1=Robert S. Kramer|author2=Richard A. Lobban Jr.|author3=Carolyn Fluehr-Lobban|title=Historical Dictionary of the Sudan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0OKZRewiEOsC&pg=PA338|year=2013|publisher=Scarecrow Press|location=Plymouth, UK|isbn=978-0-8108-7940-9|page=338}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:The story of the greatest nations; a comprehensive history, extending from the earliest times to the present, founded on the most modern authorities, and including chronological summaries and (14596551060).jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|The [[Battle of Omdurman]] in 1898]]
[[File:Map Sudan Ohmdurman.png|thumb|200px|A sketch map of Omdurman with [[Khartoum]] and [[Khartoum North|Bahri]]. The [[White Nile]] flowing from the south is joined by the [[Blue Nile]] flowing from the east.]]
[[File:Omdurman,old-bridge.jpg|thumb|300px|Bridge over the [[White Nile]] which connects the city to [[Khartoum]]]]
After the [[siege of Khartoum]], followed by the building of the tomb of [[Muhammad Ahmad|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), [[Horatio Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener of Khartoum|Lord Kitchener]] decisively defeated the [[Ansar (Sudan)|Mahdist forces]]. The following year British forces defeated [[Abdallahi ibn Muhammad]], the [[Khalifa]], as the [[Battle of Umm Diwaykarat]]; ensuring [[United Kingdom|British]] control over the Sudan.

In September 1898, the British army of twenty thousand well drilled men equipped with the latest arms, [[Maxim gun]]s and [[Martini-Henry rifle]]s under the command of General Horatio Herbert Kitchener [[Anglo-Egyptian invasion of Sudan|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".<ref>{{Cite book|title = EMPIRE, How Britain Made the Modern World|last = Ferguson|first = Niall|publisher = Penguin Books|year = 2003|isbn = 978-0-141-00754-0|location = London England|pages = 267–272}}</ref>

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 [[2008 attack on Omdurman and Khartoum|fighting]] with Sudanese government forces. Their goal was to topple [[Omar Hassan al-Bashir]]'s government.<ref>[http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article27076 Curfew in capital as Sudanese army clash near Khartoum with Darfur rebels] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191104081817/http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article27076 |date=4 November 2019 }} - Sudan Tribune 2008-05-10</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7394033.stm  Sudanese rebels 'reach Khartoum'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190418094122/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7394033.stm |date=18 April 2019 }} - BBC News 2008-05-10</ref><ref>[http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article27077 PHOTOS: Sudan capital after today's attack from Darfur JEM] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160416090457/http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article27077 |date=16 April 2016 }} - Sudan Tribune 2008-05-10</ref>

During the [[Sudanese civil war (2023–present)|Sudanese civil war]], the [[Battle of Omdurman (2023)|Battle of Omdurman]] broke out.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=2023-06-05 |title=Further clashes between military factions in Khartoum |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/world/2023/0605/1387548-sudan-clashes/ |language=en}}</ref>

== Geography ==

=== Neighbourhoods ===

* [[Ombadda]]

===Climate===
Omdurman features a hot [[arid climate]], with only the summer months seeing noticeable precipitation. The city averages a little over {{convert|155|mm|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 {{convert|40|°C|°F}} in mid-summer.

Its average annual high temperature is {{convert|37.1|°C|0}}, with six months of the year seeing an average monthly high temperature of at least {{convert|38|°C}}. Furthermore, throughout the year, none of its monthly average high temperatures falls below {{convert|30|°C}}. During the months of January and February, while daytime temperatures are generally very warm, nights are relatively cool, with average low temperatures just above {{convert|15|°C}}.

{{Weather box|width=auto
|location = Omdurman
|metric first = y
|single line = y
|Jan high C = 30.8
|Feb high C = 33.0
|Mar high C = 36.8
|Apr high C = 40.1
|May high C = 41.9
|Jun high C = 41.3
|Jul high C = 38.4
|Aug high C = 37.3
|Sep high C = 39.1
|Oct high C = 39.3
|Nov high C = 35.2
|Dec high C = 31.8
|year high C = 37.1
|Jan low C = 15.6
|Feb low C = 17.0
|Mar low C = 20.5
|Apr low C = 23.6
|May low C = 27.1
|Jun low C = 27.3
|Jul low C = 25.9
|Aug low C = 25.3
|Sep low C = 26.0
|Oct low C = 25.5
|Nov low C = 21.0
|Dec low C = 17.1
|year low C = 22.7
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm =    0
|Feb precipitation mm =    0
|Mar precipitation mm =    0
|Apr precipitation mm =    0
|May precipitation mm =   .4
|Jun precipitation mm =  4.0
|Jul precipitation mm = 46.3
|Aug precipitation mm = 75.2
|Sep precipitation mm = 25.4
|Oct precipitation mm =  4.8
|Nov precipitation mm =   .7
|Dec precipitation mm =    0
|unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm
|Jan precipitation days =   0
|Feb precipitation days =   0
|Mar precipitation days =  .1
|Apr precipitation days =  .1
|May precipitation days =  .9
|Jun precipitation days = 1.2
|Jul precipitation days = 4.8
|Aug precipitation days = 4.8
|Sep precipitation days = 3.2
|Oct precipitation days = 1.2
|Nov precipitation days =   0
|Dec precipitation days =   0

|Jan humidity= 27
|Feb humidity= 22
|Mar humidity= 17
|Apr humidity= 16
|May humidity= 19
|Jun humidity= 28
|Jul humidity= 43
|Aug humidity= 49
|Sep humidity= 40
|Oct humidity= 28
|Nov humidity= 27
|Dec humidity= 30

|Jan sun = 141
|Feb sun = 211
|Mar sun = 260
|Apr sun = 330
|May sun = 360
|Jun sun = 390
|Jul sun = 400
|Aug sun = 390
|Sep sun = 365
|Oct sun = 300
|Nov sun = 260
|Dec sun = 180
|source 1 = [[World Meteorological Organisation]] ([[United Nations|UN]]) <ref name="WMO" >{{cite web
  | url = http://worldweather.wmo.int/085/c00249.htm
  | title = World Weather Information Service – Omdurman
  | access-date = 2010-05-06
  | publisher = UN
  | archive-date = 6 February 2017
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170206080422/http://worldweather.wmo.int/085/c00249.htm
  | url-status = live
  }}</ref>
|source 2 = BBC Weather <ref name="BBC">{{cite web
| url =http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/city_guides/results.shtml?tt=TT000640
| title =Average Conditions Omdurman, Sudan
| access-date =21 August 2009
| publisher =BBC Weather
| archive-date =6 September 2010
| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20100906133935/http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/city_guides/results.shtml?tt=TT000640
| url-status =live
}}</ref>
|date=August 2010
 }}

==Demographics==
[[File:Khartoum Nasa 30aug2001.jpg|thumb|250px|Omdurman is on the western side of the Nile river, opposite Khartoum.]]
[[File:Omdurman green dancers.jpg|thumb|[[Sufi]] [[dervish]]es in Omdurman]]
{| class="wikitable"
! style="background:#efefef;" | Year
! style="background:#efefef;" width=100px | Population
|-
| 1909 (Census){{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}
| align="right" | 42,779
|-
| 1941
| align="right" | 116,196
|-
| 1956
| align="right" | 113,600
|-
| 1973
| align="right" | 299,399
|-
| 1983
| align="right" | 526,284
|-
| 1993
| align="right" | 1,271,403
|-
| 2007 Estimate
| align="right" | 2,127,802
|-
| 2008
| align="right" | 2,395,159{{Citation needed|date=February 2020}}
|-
| 2010
| align="right" | 2,577,780{{Citation needed|date=February 2020}}
|}

==Education==
Public universities are:<ref>{{cite web
 |url=http://www.mohe.gov.sd/
 |publisher=Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research
 |title=Sudanese higher education
 |access-date=2011-09-15
 |archive-date=29 November 2016
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161129234641/http://mohe.gov.sd/
 |url-status=dead
 }}</ref>
*[[Karary University]]
*[[Omdurman Islamic University]]
*[[University of the Holy Quran and Islamic Sciences]]

Private universities are:<ref>{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.webometrics.info/university_by_country.asp?country=sd
 |title       = Universities of Sudan
 |publisher   = Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas
 |access-date  = 2011-09-15
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20120319195007/http://www.webometrics.info/university_by_country.asp?country=sd
 |archive-date = 19 March 2012}}</ref>
*[[Ahfad University for Women]]
*[[Omdurman Ahlia University]]
*[[University of Science and Technology - Omdurman]]

==Airport==
[[File:Al Halfaya Bridge.jpg|thumb|Halfaya Bridge on the Nile linking Omdurman and Khartoum North]]

[[Khartoum Airport]] serves Omdurman.

===[[New Khartoum International Airport]]===

According to Sudanese officials, in 2005 a new airport facility had been proposed {{convert|30|mi|km|-1}} 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arabnews.com/?page=6&section=0&article=63855&d=16&m=5&y=2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050611055223/https://www.arabnews.com/?page=6&section=0&article=63855&d=16&m=5&y=2005|archive-date=2005-06-11|date=2005-05-16|publisher= Arab Times|title=Sudan to Build New Airport}}</ref>
Construction began in 2019 but as of 2021 had been suspended.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.timesaerospace.aero/features/airports/why-growing-is-a-pain-at-khartoum |title=Why growing is a pain at Khartoum|access-date=2023-08-10 |agency=Times Aerospace |date=2021-03-31}}</ref>

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.[https://web.archive.org/web/20190102105203/http://krt-loc.gov.sd/]

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.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-01-02 |title=محلية الخرطوم - الرئيسية |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190102105203/http://krt-loc.gov.sd/ |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=web.archive.org}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Al-Nilin Mosque]]
*[[Bant (Omdurman)]]
* [[Khalifa House Museum]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{commons category-inline|Omdurman}}
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Omdurman|volume=20|page=101|short=x}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Omdurman| ]]
[[Category:Populated places in Khartoum State]]
[[Category:Populated places on the Nile]]