Tomb of the Mahdi, Sudan

Tomb of the Mahdi, Omdurman

Visited November 2007 and January 2009

In 2007 and 2009 I was lucky enough to spend time working in Khartoum, Sudan. Across the river from Khartoum is Omdurman, the largest city in Sudan, and the site of the tomb of the Mahdi, and of the Battle of Omdurman (1898) where Kitchener beat the local forces and gave Britain control over the Sudan.

This tomb is a rebuilt version of that built for the Mahdi, Muhammad Ahmad, who died in 1885, who was a religious leader and military campaigner. I'm not going to go into all the political details of who the Mahdi was, and the whole capture of Khartoum - read more about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Ahmad

The original of this tomb was destroyed on the orders of Kitchener, and the Mahdi's ashes were thrown into the Nile (his skull was saved by Kitchener).  The tomb was later rebuilt into the one that survives today, although it is generally closed to visitors. I only saw it from the outside (you get a great view from the Omdurman Museum, close by).

 

Saadian Tombs, Marrakesh

Saadian Tombs, Marrakesh, Morocco

Visited February 2011

The Saadian tombs in Marrakesh date back to the 16th and 17th centuries, and comprise the burials of over 50 members of the Saadian Dynasty. When the dynasty fell in 1696 the tombs fell into disuse and were forgotten about. They were rediscovered in 1917 and were restored by the Beaux-arts service. 

The mausoleums which house the tombs are wonderfully decorated with Islamic tiles, wood carvings, columns and pillars, and have a feel similar to the Moorish architecture of Southern Spain. As well as the monumental architecture, there’s also a quiet garden with smaller tombs for soldiers and servants.

To find the tombs, go to the ancient Kasbah and look for the Almohad Mosque, and follow the signs from there down a path. The site isn’t very big, and there isn’t any interpretation (so take a guidebook!), but it’s worth a visit. It doesn’t seem to be too busy (being just far enough away from the centre of town to discourage visitors who’d rather be in the suq!), so is a quiet, shady place to while away 30 min to an hour.