Khalifa House Museum

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Khalifa House Museum
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In the foreground: Cupola of the original Mahdi's Tomb. In the background: The restored Tomb of the Mahdi.
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Situation of the Khalifa House Museum
Established1928
Location Omdurman, Flag of Sudan.svg  Sudan
Coordinates 15°22′59″N32°17′24″E / 15.383°N 32.290°E / 15.383; 32.290
TypeEthnographical collection covering the Mahdiyah rule

The Khalifa House Museum is an ethnographic museum, located opposite the tomb of Muhammad Ahmad in the city of Omdurman in Sudan. [1] Towards the end of the 19th century, it was the residence of the successor of the Mahdi, Khalifa Abdallahi ibn Muhammad and the headquarters of the administration of the Mahdi State. The House was converted into a museum in 1928 during the Anglo-Egyptian condominium.

Contents

The historical building

Beams and matting of the ceiling KhalifaHouseMuseum2.jpg
Beams and matting of the ceiling

The Khalifa House is a low, two-storied building with a series of linked courtyards. The ground floor was built in 1888 and the upper floor in 1891. Its traditional mudbrick structure is of great historical importance, since it exhibits the style and architecture prevailing at the period.

The ethnographic museum

The Khalifa House Museum contains artefacts relating to the Mahdist state (1885–1898), such as suits of mail, [2] Mahdist coins, flimsy banknotes issued by Gordon during the Siege of Khartoum, swords and personal belongings of the Khalifa. Some rooms are dedicated to the Battle of Omdurman showcasing rifles, a Maxim automatic gun, banners, spears and robes obtained from the battle field. The collection also includes photographs of Khartoum during this time and its subsequent occupation by the British.

The courtyards house other historical items, such as the cupola saved from the ruins of the original Mahdi's tomb and also the first car in Sudan, an Arrol-Johnston motor tractor. [3]

Restoration

Interview with Ikhlas Ilyas, curator at the Khalifa House in Omdurman

In 2018, the Khalifa House Museum was awarded funding by the British Council for the Western Sudan Community Museums Project. [4] During the two-year funding period, the building and its extensive collection were restored. Staff were given training in material conservation, collection management, storage and protection of the displays. [5] The collections were photographed and digitised, and this data was shared with another British Council Cultural Protection Funded project, Sudan Memory. This project is a British-Sudanese cooperation with the National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums (NCAM) of Sudan. [6]

Reports in September 2024 suggested that the museum had been looted in the context of the Sudanese civil war. [7]

See also

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Omdurman</span> 1898 battle of the Mahdist War

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Abdullah ibn-Mohammed al-Khalifa or Abdullah al-Taashi or Abdallah al-Khalifa, also known as "The Khalifa" was a Sudanese Ansar ruler who was one of the principal followers of Muhammad Ahmad. Ahmad claimed to be the Mahdi, building up a large following. After Ahmad's death, Abdullah ibn-Mohammed took over the movement, adopting the title of Khalifah al-Mahdi. He attempted to create a kingdom, which led to widespread discontent, and his eventual defeat and death at the hands of the British and Egyptians.

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<i>Jibba</i> Coat worn by Mahdists in Sudan, 1880s

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Sudan Memory is an online archive and cultural heritage project, provided by an international group of partners with the aim of conserving and promoting Sudanese cultural heritage. In the course of the project, digital reproductions of books and newspapers, photographs and films, visual art and architecture, as well as of other cultural objects in Sudan were created and published on the project's website.

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References

  1. Official information board hanging on the Khalifa House
  2. The making of mail at Omdurman, in: Kush. Journal of the Sudan Antiquities Service, vol.IV 1956 pp.83-84
  3. "Khalifa House Museum Opens For Visitors| Sudanow Magazine". sudanow-magazine.net. Retrieved 2021-06-19.
  4. "Community museums of Western Sudan: Omdurman, El Obeid, Nyala". britishcouncil.org. Retrieved 2021-06-19.
  5. CHRC Cambridge Heritage Research Centre Bulletin. University of Cambridge. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  6. "Sudan Memory: Conserving and Promoting Sudanese Cultural and Documentary Heritage". Culture in Crisis. 2020. Retrieved 2021-06-19.
  7. "UNESCO warns of looting from Sudan museums and damage to heritage amid war". The Arab Weekly. 2024-09-13. Retrieved 2024-11-24.