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OMDURMAN

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Originally appearing in Volume V20, Page 101 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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OMDURMAN , a See also:

town of the Anglo-See also:Egyptian See also:Sudan, on the See also:west See also:bank of the See also:Nile, immediately See also:north of the junction of the See also:White and See also:Blue See also:Niles in 15° 38' N.; 32° 29' E., 2 M. N. by W. of See also:Khartum. Pop. (1909 See also:census) 42,779, of whom 541 were Europeans. The town covers a large See also:area, being over 5 M. See also:long and 2 broad. It consists for the most See also:part of mud huts, but there are some houses built of See also:sun-dried bricks. See also:Save for two or three wide streets which See also:traverse it from end to end the town is a network of narrow lanes. In the centre facing an open space are the ruins of the See also:tomb of the See also:Mandi and behind is the See also:house in which he lived. The See also:Khalifa's house (a two-storeyed See also:building), the See also:mosque, the See also:Beit el Amaina (See also:arsenal) and other houses famed in the See also:history of the town also See also:face the central square. A high See also:wall runs behind these buildings parallel with the Nile. Omdurman is the headquarters of the native traders in the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, the See also:chief articles of See also:commerce being See also:ivory, See also:ostrich feathers and See also:gum arabic from See also:Darfur and See also:Kordofan. There is also an important See also:camel and See also:cattle See also:market.

Nearly every tribe in the Sudan is represented in the See also:

population of the See also:city. Among the native artificers the See also:metal workers and See also:leather dressers are noted. The See also:government maintains elementary and technical See also:schools. See also:Mission See also:work is undertaken by various See also:Protestant and See also:Roman See also:Catholic See also:societies. Omdurman, then an insignificant See also:village, was chosen in 1884 by the Mandi Mahommed Ahmed as his See also:capital and so continued after the fall of Khartum in See also:January 1885. Its growth was rapid, the Khalifa (who succeeded the Mandi) compelling large See also:numbers of disaffected tribesmen to live in the town under the See also:eye of his soldiery. Here also were imprisoned the See also:European captives of the Mandists—notably See also:Slatin See also:Pasha and See also:Father Ohrwalder. On the 2nd of See also:September 1898 the Anglo-Egyptian See also:army under See also:Lord See also:Kitchener totally defeated the forces of the Khalifa at Kerreri, 7 M. N. of the town. A See also:marble See also:obelisk marks the spot where the 21st Lancers made a See also:charge. Within the enclosure of the Khalifa's house is the tomb of See also:Hubert See also:Howard, son of the 9th See also:earl of See also:Carlisle, who was killed in the house at the See also:capture of the city by a splinter of a See also:shell fired at the Mandi's tomb.

End of Article: OMDURMAN

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