Khartoum: City of Lights
Khartoum's Blue Nile riverfront. The Emperor Tewdros bridge (at right) connects the east and west banks
Following the Blue Nile north takes the traveler through the timeless Nile floodplain, where life still moves to rhythm of the annual flood. In many places one still finds humble peasant families working the rich river silt as their forefathers have since Pharonic times.
But this timeless landscape gives way suddenly to the most modern city in Africa, Khartoum. Located at the point where the Blue Nile finally meets the White Nile, Khartoum has grown rapidly, from a remote post of the Egyptian military in the 1820s to become the Empire's second city.
Khartoum's suburbs from the air
Khartoum's rise has relied directly on science and technology. Blessed with an abundance of hydroelectric power and abundant rubber plantations, Khartoum is Africa's #1 source of electric equipment, telephones, automobiles and tractors, armaments and aeroplanes. Khartoum was the first African city to boast electric streetlights and a modern electric trolley system. Khartoum is the cradle of the African film industry. Khartoum was the first Ethiopian city to have an airport, and remains the hub of air travel in East Africa.
Menelik International Airport
Much of this technical innovation can be traced to the Khartoum Institute of Technology. Endowed by Menelik II to promote modern technology, the KIT has educated many of the Empire's greatest scientists, inventors and entrepreneurs. Dr Goobanaa Gobena, Nobel Laureate in Physics and discoverer of Gobena Scattering, is among the many luminaries to grace its faculty.
It's rapid growth and hunger for skilled workers have drawn migrants from across the Empire. Virtually every race, creed, and language in the Empire's vast domain can be found in the streets of Khartoum. The confluence of cultures has created a thriving arts scene, second only to Gonder itself.
One exception is in architecture, a field in which Khartoum has no peer in Africa. Khartoum is the birthplace of the Heliopolis School, a style of architecture that aspires to mix ancient styles from Egypt, Nubia and Ethiopia with modern conveniences and luxuries. The name comes from the stylish suburb of Heliopolis. An elegant planned community built in 1907 by the Khartoum Electric Railway Company, Heliopolis is home to many grandiose buildings, most famously the Heliopolis Palace Hotel.
The grand Heliopolis Palace Hotel
While staying in the Palace is beyond the means of most travelers, it's elegant cafe is less exclusive. For those who wish to sample the high life of the modern African Aristocrat, a visit to the Palace Cafe for some Kenyan tea or strong Ethiopian Coffee is a worthy way to pass the heat of the afternoon.
The elegant Palace Cafe
Also open to the public are the gracious Pasha Empain Gardens, an oasis of greenery and an ideal place for people-watching. Abutting the gardens are several major places of worship built in Heliopolis style. Jewish synagogues, mosques, and churches of multiple denominations all open on the gardens in a deliberate effort to promote harmony and neighborliness among the city's diverse peoples.
Near the Heliopolis trolley station is Luna Park, Africa's first amusement park. Opened in 1912, Luna park hosts horse races, pollo and cricket grounds, a switchback roller coaster, midway games, and a skating rink, along with many small restaurants and food stands. Crowds can be very large, especially in the evening.
The Luna Park entrance
Due to the extreme daytime heat, social life in Khartoum is mostly confined to the evening hours. Streets are brightly lit by electric lights, and illuminated signs advertise attractions throughout the night. As suits the birthplace of African Film, Khartoum boasts more movie houses than any other city in Africa. These range from the squalid to the elegant. The finest example of the latter is the Nasr Theatre, a palatial cinema that hosts high-profile premiers.
The lobby of the Nasr Theatre
In the ancient Nile valley, Khartoum's assertive modernity can be jarring. Visitors tend to leave the city with a very strong impression, for better or worse. Very few find Africa's City of Lights forgettable.