Upon Arrival at Khartoum International Airport, the assigned vehicle and staff meet you and drive past the Presidential Palace, where English General Charles George Gordon was beheaded in 1885 after refusing to submit to the Mahdi rebellion on the grounds that Sudan was a de facto British protectorate. Then, Continue to the National Museum of Sudan, which houses – among other things – ancient Egyptian temples relocated from Lake Nasser. Continue your journey into history and cross the confluence of the Blue and the White Nile to Omdurman, the old capital of Sudan, to see the tomb of the famed Mahdi – the religious leader who declared himself the harbinger of the Day of Judgement. Drop in at the Khalifa’s House Museum, an ethnographic museum, then absorb what you’ve learned over lunch at a halal restaurant. In the afternoon, visit the biggest market in Sudan for some time. As the sun begins to set, journey to the tomb of Hamed el-Nil to watch the weekly Sufi ceremonial celebration of the whirling dervishes. This ritualised dance-like worship is captivating to watch.
