Khartoum

Khartoum ( '''الخرطوم''' '''al-Ḫarṭūm''' " Elephant Trunk") is the Capital of Sudan and of Khartoum State . It is located at the point where the White Nile , flowing north from Uganda , meets the Blue Nile , flowing west from Ethiopia . The merger of the two niles is known as "the ''Mogran''". The merged Nile flows north towards Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea .

The city proper has a population of well over a million inhabitants, making it the second largest city in the country, but forms with its neighbours, joined by bridges, Khartoum North (''al-Khartūm Bahrī'') and Omdurman (''Umm Durmān'') a metropolis totalling probably over four million. Khartoum is located at 15°35'17" North, 32°32'3" East (15.588056, 32.534167). {Link without Title}

The city is home to the University Of Khartoum , founded in 1903 as Gordon Memorial College. Other universities are a branch of Cairo University and Khartoum Polytechnic University . Sudan National Museum has important holdings from the numerous ancient civilizations of the region.

EARLY HISTORY

Khartoum was founded in 1821 as an outpost for the Egypt ian army, but grew as a regional center of trade, including the Slave trade. Troops loyal to the Mahdi Muhammad Ahmad laid siege to Khartoum starting on March 13 , 1884 against the defenders led by British General Charles George Gordon . The heavily damaged city fell to the Mahdists on January 26 , 1885 . Omdurman was the scene of the bloody Battle ( September 2 , 1898 ) in which British forces under Sirdar Horatio Kitchener defeated the Mahdist forces defending the city.

RECENT HISTORY

In 1973, the city was the site of a Hostage Crisis in which members of Black September held ten hostages at the Saudi embassy, five of whom were diplomats. The US ambassador, the US deputy ambassador, and the Belgian Chargé d'affaires were murdered. The remaining hostages were released (see Khartoum Diplomatic Assassinations ).

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Khartoum was the destination for hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing conflicts in neighboring nations such as Chad , Eritrea , Ethiopia and Uganda . The refugees settled in large slums at the outskirts of the city. From the mid-1980s onward, large numbers of Internally Displaced from the violence of the Second Sudanese Civil War and Darfur Conflict have settled around Khartoum.

Following the 1998 U.S. Embassy Bombings , the United States accused Osama Bin Laden 's Al-Qaeda group of responsibility and launched Cruise Missile attacks ( August 20 ) on the Al-Shifa Pharmaceutical Factory in Khartoum. The factory was later proved to have no ties to bin Laden and had devastating effects on the Sudanese economy. The attack led to greater anti-US sentiment in Sudan and the Arab world.

DEVELOPEMENT

After the signing of the historic Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the government of Sudan and the Sudanese Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLA), the Government of Sudan has began a massive developement project. The biggest project taking place right now in Khartoum is "Al-Mogran" Developement Project, led by Al-Sunut Developement Company. This integrated development is a joint venture developed by the DAL Group Company Ltd, Khartoum State and the National Social Insurance Fund. The project is divided into two main phases:

Phase I : Almogran Central Business District
A brand new 160-acre Central Business District (CBD). This state-of-the-art, prime commercial real estate will act as a hub for Eastern Africa’s modern business market. Almogran is located on the junction between The White and the Blue Nile. The CBD has been carefully master planned to create a dynamic and livable business environment, with pedestrian-friendly tree-lined streets, a river walk, and a mix of business, commercial, and residential properties. All of this comes together at the only place in the world where it is possible to have a spectacular view of the three Niles.

Phase II : Almogran Residential Estate
To the south of Almogran CBD, along the banks of the White Nile, lies a 1500-acre residential development featuring a variety of carefully planned neighborhoods of luxurious villas, townhouses, and apartments, complete with supporting neighborhood shops, schools, and recreational and leisure facilities. The development includes an 18-hole signature golf course and resort, public parks and gardens, with preservation of the Sunuut Forest Reserve.

Al-Mogran Project

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Khartoum

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