The Omdurman market, west of Khartoum, is a landmark in the history of the Sudanese heritage, as it contains handmade products of natural leather, wood and ceramics, which made it a prominent destination for foreign citizens and tourists.
The history of the market dates back to about two centuries, and it is a microcosm of the historic city of Omdurman, the national capital of Sudan, in which the various races and religions of Islam, Judaism, Christianity and Buddhism live.
The geography of the market starts from the old post office building to the south and ends with the ancient Al-Masalmeh neighborhood in the north, in addition to the streets of Karary in the east and Al-Shanqeiti in the west, and the Indian merchants shops in it were adjacent to the Coptic stores who came from Upper Egypt, and they specialized in textiles and furniture.
Resilience
There are shops in the market for Yemenis or "Yemeni" who are famous for their specialty in the field of groceries, while the location of the "Adani" store is still famous and a guide for foreign tourists despite its disappearance from the face of the earth, and the Jewish market, which still carries its name despite the departure of its owners in the seventies.
And the market continued to resist modernity constantly, but it was renewed with the taste, art and skill of craftsmen inside it, and when you visit it in the morning or evening, you find everything you need, and the narrow alleys smell the fragrant past before the fragrant scents fumes, while the spirit of the times flutters before the wings of ornamental birds.
With the spread of modern shops, high-rise buildings and major commercial markets throughout the capital, Khartoum, the Omdurman market still retains its heritage flavor and its ancient past in the manufacture of local products, it is the rebellious market on aging, and the longer its life, the more its vitality, luster and splendor.
"The Omdurman market witnessed a severe recession after the revolution of December last year, inflation rates escalated, prices became unstable, and the dealer became unsure in terms of buying and selling ... the new transitional government promised us to change, and we aspire to achieve, Economic and food security and the return of prosperity to public life. "
The artisan market
When you walk into the narrow alleys, the old craftsmen market whose craftsmen inherit manufacturing skills draws your attention, and the craftsman appears sitting on the floor quiet, does not make a sound, does not pay attention, does not care about the movement of passers-by, and you will hear nothing but the frail roar of old-fashioned sewing machines.
The craftsmen sit immersed in the manufacture of shoes, belts and leather bags made of crocodile leather, large snakes and sheep skin, and there are others working in the manufacture of wood carvings and silver utensils.
There are also female tea and coffee vendors who place stoves near and around them with short seats, while "Al Qahwaji" still occupies a part of the scene, adhering to its traditions of carrying round pots with white cups on it, and you see it going back and forth on small shops and passers-by to distribute its coffee and receive its money at the end of Currency.
recovery
Merchant Mohammed Al-Tayeb explains that the movement in the market is better than in the past period after he witnessed a great recovery due to the increase in the movement of foreign tourists, stressing the need to develop tourism and monuments in the country and organize tourist attractions as they reflect the face of Sudan in its progress and development.
On the other hand, the merchant, Mohamed Nader Mubarak, believes that the leather market was complaining of marginalization and neglect in the past period, and that his condition has developed after he became a kiss for a large number of people who want to buy leather to manufacture "boats" (homemade shoes), because they live longer than shoes made from Plastic, and the movement of college students who come to the market to buy leather for the purpose of manufacturing leather bags and accessories increased to establish small projects for material gain.