Sudan Red Sea Places of Interest

Khartoum -

The Sudanese National Museum is located down by the Nile in Khartoum. There are interesting exhibits on Sudanese history and a large collection of Christian frescoes from the old kingdom of Dongola in northern Sudan. There are also antiquities and artifacts from various periods of Sudanese history including glassware, pottery and statues & figurines from the ancient kingdom of Cush. The outside garden contains 2 reconstructed temples, one with 18th century graffiti! These Egyptian temples were salvaged from the flooding of Lake Nasser. The Palace Museum is housed in an old Anglican church and mostly contains gifts given to the various presidents of Sudan. Gift givers include as Yasser Arafat, Joseph Tito and the head of the Omdurman Abattoir Consortium. On the walls are memorial plaques for all the British nationals who died in Sudan during British rule. Another highlight is the piece of moon rock and the Sudanese flag, which was sent up to space in the 1960's. Outside you can see many old British cars used by the presidents - mainly old Rolls Royce's and the odd bulletproof Mercedes.

Kassala -

The souq in Kassala is one of Sudan's best and sells a wide variety of the fruit for which the region is famous for - grapefruit, pomegranates, oranges, bananas and melons. Local handicrafts, fabrics and the silver jewelery handmade by the mysterious veiled Rashaida women are for sale here. Kassala is also a popular retreat for Sudanese honeymoon couples. In the nearby village of Khatmiya, the village well is a traditional place for newly wed couples to drink. Water from the well is said to bring good luck and a fertile married life. Just outside Kassala are the peculiar shaped 'sugar-loaf' hills known as jebels. They can be spotted on the horizon from Kassala and home to a tribe of baboons, which come down from the hills at sunset to drink at a nearby village well.


Karima -

Just 2km south of the Karima is Jebel Barkal, a 100-meter hill that was considered sacred by the Egyptians of the 18th Dynasty. From the summit, there is an outstanding view of the Nile. At the foot of the hill, lies the Temple of Amun, second only in length to the famous Temple of Karnak in Egypt. About six smaller temples once surrounded this and ruins of these temples, together with statuary and hieroglyphics, make this an interesting Cushite site. The Jebel Barkal Pyramids are located to the west of the temple and are similar in style to those at Meroe.