Crossing African and Arabia's cultural frontiers, Sudan has a complex past but its people are known to be the most hospitable and friendly on the continent. Following the country's division in July, Salil Kumar visited Khartoum in Sudan for an insider look at how the republic is evolving.
Journalist A A Gill once wrote that no other place wakes up with more hope than Africa. If that is so, then it must be doubly true in post-secession Sudan, where there is optimism that separation from the South would lead to an end to instability and boost investment and tourism.
Certainly in Khartoum the talk is positive. I arrived in the city during Ramadan and at Iftar the restaurant at the five-star Al Salam Rotana was packed. Hostesses greet guests and usher them to their seats.
Waiters flit about as Sudanese businessmen and foreign investors (some wearing jalabiyas) strike deals over local delicacies. Less than 50 metres away, expats, including diplomats and foreign workers, laze by the pool under a tawny sky. The scene is exceptional in its normality, but normality is not the first word that comes to mind when one thinks of Sudan. For this, outsiders have only themselves to blame.
First, visitors to Khartoum, the capital of Sudan where the White Nile and Blue Nile famously merge and proceed north to Egypt, would be well advised to leave their preconceived notions at the immigration counter. Because heres the thing about this hot, dusty and bustling city: if you think security would be an issue, you would be utterly wrong. I lost count of the number of times I was told Khartoum is the safest city in all of Africa.
And second, you think the people would be worried about what is happening in other parts of the country Darfur, the referendum, the secession of South Sudan. Not really, no; the sense of disconnect is so acute that Khartoum might as well be on another continent. If the residents are concerned about the various problems that have kept Sudan firmly under the international media spotlight, they are polite enough to not reveal it to a visitor.
Post-secession, the talk in the Arabized north is about business and tourism. Energy-hungry China Sudans main ally over the various years of conflict has long had a massive presence in the country, investing billions in oil and infrastructure. Following the break-up of the country, Khartoum has lost its southern oil production facilities. But Beijing, which has a keen interest in its continued presence, has promised to remain a partner during this period of transition. Stability, once it becomes permanent, is expected to lure other investors to this fledgling economy.
On the tourism front, things are expected to become more competitive. In the past, barring Chinese staff, aid workers, human rights inspectors and various mandarins, it was next to impossible to find foreign faces in the capital. But with more airlines flying into the country and the government relaxing visa rules, its only a matter of time before more travellers discover the country.
And it is a discovery. The Sudanese are the salt of the earth: humble, generous and hospitable. I find myself with an Iftar invitation on arrival at the Khartoum airport terminal: in one corner of the building, four men are sitting around a communal plate about to break their fast, when one of them asks me to join and I would have if it wasnt for the fact that someone holding a board with my name written across it was waiting outside.
Khartoum itself has a quaint charm. The gamine girl selling trinkets outside Afra Mall smiles as she hands me a beadbracelet. I briefly grapple with the idea of attending the weekly wrestling matches at Bahari, the semi-industrial area, but there is no time. There is time, though, for a stroll along the banks of Nile.
For students of history there is a lot to offer. The National Museum of Sudan, in Khartoum, has stunning exhibits from the countrys ancient past. The second floor (this comes as a surprise) contains mesmerizing frescos of Jesus and Mary. In the gardens surrounding the museum are the Egyptian temples of Buhen and Semna originally built by Hatshepsut and Tuthmosis II but relocated to Khartoum upon the flooding caused by Lake Nasser.
You can also find Nubian Pyramids in a place called Meroe, a couple of hours drive from Khartoum. For the more adventurous, consider booking a flight to Port Sudan, which is located on the Red Sea. Long an exit point for pious Muslims going on Hajj, Sudans main port city founded by the British in 1909 as the terminus of a rail linking the Red Sea to the Nile, is also known for its excellent scuba-diving facilities. Pyramid-watching and scubadiving, by the way, were two things I could not fit into my schedule. But then, Sudan is a place to be savored bit by bit.
Sudan has a lot to offer to travellers weary of the well-trodden path, including solitude and adventure. Ghassan Dalal, General Manager at Al Salam Rotana, certainly thinks so. This is an ancient land. But people dont really know much about it, he says. But we hope that over the coming months this will change.
Such a confident hospitality group it is that next year it plans to unveil Wahat Al Khartoum Arjaan by Rotana at downtown Khartoum. Expect busy bookings.
Quick Facts About Sudan
- The Sudanese flag, which reflects the Pan-Arab colours, was adopted on May 20, 1970.
- Capital city Khartoum serves as the political, cultural and commercial centre of the nation.
- The worlds newest country, the Republic of South Sudan, was born on 9 July 2011. The capital city is Juda and the population is estimated to be about 9.7m.
- Sudans rainy season lasts for about three months (July to September) in the north, and up to six months (June to November) in the south.
