Sudan Red Sea Culture & Traditions

The most popular sport in Sudan is football. There are many sporting clubs in Sudan that encourage all sporting activities, though football enjoys the unbound enthusiasm and support of fans and media.

The majority of the Sudanese are Muslims. Friday is the Holy Day in the Islamic religion and Muslims are called to prayer five times a day, every day from the minarets of mosques. There are many mosques in Sudan that have been built by religious men and different Muslim factions such as the Sunni and Sufi sects. Besides being a place of worship, mosques play an important social and educational role for the Sudanese.

The Sudanese ethnic and racial diversity is characterized by the prevalence of the African and Arab races. The result is the colourful and diverse cultural Sudanese heritage that is manifested in the various forms of Sudanese dancing.

Dancing is an original heritage that is deeply rooted in Sudanese history. It plays a vital role in Sudanese culture because it is considered an important form of expression. Dancing symbolizes the tribes' links to their beliefs and social behaviour as well as to the environment and the land. Dancing can be a directly related to the tribes' daily life in all aspects including farming, hunting, rain, heroes and chivalry.



The Kambala is a well-known dance performed by the tribes dwelling in the Nuba Mountains. This dance originated from the Meeri tribe. The Kambala is performed in the feasts and ceremonies related to the local traditions and rituals of rain during the harvest of sorghum. The dancers wear horns of huge bulls on their heads as a sign of power. Various bells and anklets are worn during the dance to provide louder sounds.

Drums are the most common rhythmic instruments in Sudan because of their variations & usefulness. Many tribes, especially in Western Sudan, use a large drum called the Nihas both for celebrations and to make public announcements. Other common instruments include the Taar', which is widely used throughout the northern tribes as an accompaniment in dancing and singing. The tribes of the south and west parts of Sudan use another type of drum called a Nuggaara for their dancing and singing.