The National Museum of Sudan

It's Saturday, and Walid kindly agreed to take me to the National Museum today....Inshallah it will be open today.


The National Museum of Sudan, was founded in 1971, located on El Neel Avenue in Khartoum. The double storied building was constructed in the 1955, and established as the National Museum of Sudan in 1971. It contains the largest and most important archaeological collection in the country.


The museum has exhibits from different epochs of the Sudanese history such as Kingdom of Kush and ancient Nubian Christian period, and also ancient Egypt. The artifacts on display are Stone AGe relics of the Al Saltan Al-Zarqa era also know as the black sultanat; Kush glassware, pottery and statuary, frescoes and murals of the Nubian period from 8th to 15th century.


Among the exhibits displayed in the gardens surrounding the museum are the two Egyptian temples of Buhen Temple and Semna Temple, which were originally built by Queen Hatshepsut and Pharaoh Tuthmosis III. They were relocated from the submerged area of Lake Nasser.

 Yes it is open!  We stroll around the gardens and visit the temple ruins....I think we are the only visitors....

 Inside the Museum, we have a guide to show us around... However Walid gets bored quickly and goes outside to wait for me.... I guess he's seen it many times.  The guide was very nice.  Half-way through the tour, he asks: don't you want to take photos... there is me: oh I thought this wasn't allowed.... oh well.... so I took photos - great!

 These are the pyramids I want to visit next time!!!!

 This bed doesn't look too comfortable to me....

Upstairs they have glass vitrines full of all the minerals and stones the country has....

And then amidst the glass vitrines there was anything and everything about OIL!... also a resource of the country I guess.... just funny....

And then there was the Nubian Christian period.....

 On the way out, we buy a map of Khartoum and a book of postcards.... souvenirs!

Walid was very patient - thanks.  We drove back home along the Nile Corniche passed the Presidential Palace.... I snatched a couple of photos of the palace and the guards (quick before we get arrested....).  They actually close this road at night for security reasons....

 And look.... FlyDubai has an office here - quite prominent!

What a nice and educational outing...  On my list for my next visit is the Ethnographic Museum....

In the evening I was invitied for Tea at Sumeya's place.  We sat and chatted, as far as that was possible with my little Arabic and Sumeya's little English.  Her daughter did some of the translation.....But it's interesting how it is possible to communicate in mixed languages....Sumeya has nice kids, and she is very hospitable, serving me lots of food and drink.

I don't stay too long, as Mahassin is alone at home.....

Also, I've developed some indigestion and need to be close to the bathroom ... this is all I need.... as there are no public toilets anywhere... so I need to be careful when we go out!  i.e. not eat or drink beforehand... to Mahassin's great dismay... as she cannot understand that I eat so little.....

Thanks again for a lovely Day!

Sabine, Dougal, Lionheart