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Omdurman (Standard Arabic Umm Durman ?? ?????) is the largest city
Demographics of Sudan

This article is about the demographics features of the population of Sudan, including population density, Ethnic group, education level, health of the populous, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population....
 in Sudan
Sudan

Sudan is a country in northeastern Africa. It is the largest in the African continent and the Arab World, and List of countries and outlying territories by total area by area....
 and Khartoum State, lying on the western banks of the river Nile
Nile

The Nile is a major north-flowing river in Africa, generally regarded as the List of rivers by length in the world.The Nile has two major tributary, the White Nile and Blue Nile, the latter being the source of most of the Nile's water and silt, but the former being the longer of the two....
, opposite the capital, Khartoum
Khartoum

Khartoum is the Capital of Sudan and of Khartoum . It is located at the confluence point of the White Nile flowing north from Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile flowing west from Ethiopia....
. Omdurman has a population of over 3 million (2007) and is the largest city in the country and the national center of commerce. With Khartoum and Khartoum North
Khartoum North

Khartoum North is a city close to, but distinct from, Khartoum in central Sudan. The city is close to the confluence of the White Nile and Blue Niles on the eastern bank of the Blue Nile....
 or Bahri
Bahri

Bahri is a surname in Punjabi people Khatri families. The main origin of this community is believed to be from Jalandhar, Punjab . They are believed to be under the surname Mahendru.The Bahri section of the descendants of Mehr Chand, Khan Chand and Kapur Chand, three Khatris who went to Delhi in attandance upon one of Akhar?s Rajput wives, an...
, it forms the cultural and industrial heart of the nation.

rding to writer H.






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Omdurman (Standard Arabic Umm Durman ?? ?????) is the largest city
Demographics of Sudan

This article is about the demographics features of the population of Sudan, including population density, Ethnic group, education level, health of the populous, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population....
 in Sudan
Sudan

Sudan is a country in northeastern Africa. It is the largest in the African continent and the Arab World, and List of countries and outlying territories by total area by area....
 and Khartoum State, lying on the western banks of the river Nile
Nile

The Nile is a major north-flowing river in Africa, generally regarded as the List of rivers by length in the world.The Nile has two major tributary, the White Nile and Blue Nile, the latter being the source of most of the Nile's water and silt, but the former being the longer of the two....
, opposite the capital, Khartoum
Khartoum

Khartoum is the Capital of Sudan and of Khartoum . It is located at the confluence point of the White Nile flowing north from Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile flowing west from Ethiopia....
. Omdurman has a population of over 3 million (2007) and is the largest city in the country and the national center of commerce. With Khartoum and Khartoum North
Khartoum North

Khartoum North is a city close to, but distinct from, Khartoum in central Sudan. The city is close to the confluence of the White Nile and Blue Niles on the eastern bank of the Blue Nile....
 or Bahri
Bahri

Bahri is a surname in Punjabi people Khatri families. The main origin of this community is believed to be from Jalandhar, Punjab . They are believed to be under the surname Mahendru.The Bahri section of the descendants of Mehr Chand, Khan Chand and Kapur Chand, three Khatris who went to Delhi in attandance upon one of Akhar?s Rajput wives, an...
, it forms the cultural and industrial heart of the nation.

Etymology

According to writer H. C. Jackson, the origin of the word 'Omdurman' is not known for certain. Some say the name comes from the two small hills (durman) in the neighborhood, and the village was known as the 'mother of the two small hills.' Others prefer the story that the place was named after the mother of a man called 'Durman', who came from the west many years ago. He is reputed to have made a fortune, and his mother, an enterprising woman, is said to have started a ferry service between Omdurman, the island of Tuti
Tuti Island

Tuti Island is an island in Sudan where the White Nile and Blue Nile merge to form the main Nile. It is surrounded by the "Three Towns": Khartoum , Omdurman , and Khartoum North ....
, the settlements of Halfaya and what was later known as Khartoum. Visitors to these places when asked how they had crossed the river and would reply that they had been brought by "UmmDurman" (the mother of Durman) or the mother (um) of Abdurahaman which is slowly derived to ummdurman.

History

In 1884, Mu?ammad A?mad
Muhammad Ahmad

Muhammad Ahmad ibn as Sayyid Abd Allah was a religious leader, in Sudan, who proclaimed himself the Mahdi in 1881, and declared a jihad against Egyptian authority in Sudan....
, "the Mahdi
Mahdi

According to the Shia and Sunni versions of the Islamic eschatology the Mahdi is the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will stay on earth seven, nine, or nineteen years before the coming of the day, Qiyamah ....
", made his military headquarters in the village of Omdurman. The conflicts that followed over the next fifteen years have become known as the Mahdist War
Mahdist War

The Mahdist War was a colonial war of the late 19th century. It was fought between the Mahdist Sudanese and the Egyptian and later United Kingdom forces....
. Following the defeat of the besieged British
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 defenders of Khartoum in 1885, the Mahdi's successor, Khalifa ?Abdullahi ibn Mu?ammad, made Omdurman his capital.
Map Sudan Ohmdurman
The city, now the location of the tomb of the Mahdi, grew rapidly. However, in the Battle of Omdurman
Battle of Omdurman

At the Battle of Omdurman , an army commanded by the United Kingdom General Sir Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener defeated the army of Abdullah al-Taashi, the successor to the self-proclaimed Mahdi Muhammad Ahmad....
 in 1898 (which actually took place in the nearby village of Kerreri), Lord Kitchener decisively defeated the Mahdist forces, ensuring British
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 control over the Sudan, and killed Khalifa.

Kitchener restored Khartoum as the capital and, from 1899 until 1956 Sudan was jointly governed by Great Britain and Egypt, at least in theory. In practice, it was Great Britain which ruled Sudan, relegating Egyptians to second positions in the government, despite the Condominium Agreement fixing a shared rule. Although most of the city was destroyed in the battle, the Mahdi's tomb was restored and refurbished.

On the 10 May 2008 the Darfur
Darfur

Darfur is a region in Sudan. An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by History of the Anglo-Egyptian co-dominium....
 rebel group of the Justice and Equality Movement
Justice and Equality Movement

The Justice and Equality Movement is a rebel group involved in the Darfur conflict of Sudan. It is led by Khalil Ibrahim. Along with other rebel groups such as the Sudan Liberation Movement , they are fighting against the Sudanese government....
 moved into the city where they engaged in heavy fighting with Sudanese government forces. Their goal was to topple Omar Hassan al-Bashir's government, though their success as of the 12 May and damage to the city is not known.

Demographics

Mahdist in the Khalifa's House, Omdurman, Sudan
Year Population
1909 (Census) 42.779
1941 116.196
1956 113.600
1973 299.399
1983 526.284
1993 1.271.403
2007 Estimate 3.127.802


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