As part of my research on regional parties I spent the last week in Kassala and Port Sudan, where I tried to meet old parliamentarians and party members who would be able to tell me about the 60s.

Kassala is supposed to be one of Sudan’s most beautiful towns. And it is true, the setting of the town under the Taka mountains is dramatic. Amid a never ending plain, suddenly the mountains shoot up out of nowhere. The town itself is green and pleasent, people are nice –but not as relaxed as in Port Sudan– and the city is dominated by one large market area. The market is fun to explore and covered and open markets are mixed in between each other. However due to the continuing high “security” status of Kassala –the town is close to the Eritrean border and was attacked (by SPLM / NDA forces) at least once in 2000– it is still not advisable to take pictures all around town –especially if you are a PhD student. Below you can see the Taka mountains as back drop to the town as seen from the roof of the hotel I stayed in.

Kassala is however not only a city close to some unexpected mountains, but it is also the centre of the Khatmiyya Sufi brotherhood, which is one of the largest brotherhoods in Sudan. In the village which is also called Khatmiyya, directly under the mountain, is their central mosque and most holy site. In this place a number of their previous leaders are burried, which makes it an important site for pilgrimage. All structures however are relatively new, as the original structures were destroyed by the Mahdi when he came to power in the late 19th century. The large birds which can be seen on top of the saint’s tomb are migrating birds which come to this spot to breed and by that in an interesting way the saints tomb is very literally a place for the renewal of life.

The Taka mountains are a place for the renewal of life in a second sense. Because of it’s scenic location and thanks to a well which when one drinks the water it supposedly increases fertility, Kassala has become a hot spot for Sudanese honeymooners. Funnily enough it is one precise spot in the village of Totil, where everyone goes to drink coffee under the mountain. Here one finds numerous tourists, all of course Sudanese, mostly newly-weds, who come to some kind of coffee theme parc to enjoy the sunset and an Ethipioan coffee. Various little “Cafeterias” are spread over the hill side where one can get coffee and popcorn, served as usual with incense.

PS: Yes I know I didn’t post my Juba pictures yet and I still have not finished my boat picture series either. I will try to catch up eventually. Promise.