.jpg?width=1200)
.jpg){kind=link}
Quick answerOmdurman is a city in Sudan, with 1,200,000 people inside the city limits in 2025. It is best known for Mahdi's Tomb, the Khalifa House Museum and the Souq Omdurman. Its official languages are Arabic and English, and its currency is the Sudanese pound.
Omdurman is Sudan's second-largest city, with about 1.2 million people (2025 estimate). It stands on the west bank of the Nile, across the river from Khartoum, and is home to the Mahdi's Tomb and the country's largest market.
Key facts
| Country | Sudan |
|---|---|
| Population (city) | 1,200,000 (2025) |
| Elevation | 386 m above sea level |
| Time zone | Africa/Khartoum |
| Language | Arabic, English |
| Currency | Sudanese pound (SDG, ج.س.) |
| Coordinates | 15.6403° N, 32.4828° E |
Overview
Omdurman is a major city in Sudan and the second most populous in the country, on the west bank of the River Nile, opposite and north-west of the capital, Khartoum. The city had an estimated 1,200,000 residents in 2025. Together with Khartoum and Khartoum North it forms Greater Khartoum, the largest urban area in Sudan. It sits about 386 metres above sea level.
Omdurman is the historic heart of the Mahdist state. It was the capital of the Mahdi, Muhammad Ahmad, after his forces took Khartoum in 1885, and his tomb, a domed landmark rebuilt in the 1940s, still stands in the city, beside the Khalifa's House Museum. The city was also the scene of the Battle of Omdurman in 1898, when British and Egyptian forces under Kitchener defeated the Mahdist army.
Today Omdurman is known above all for its great market, Souq Omdurman, one of the largest in Sudan, and as a road hub for the west of the country, with the Nile carrying trade onward. Like Khartoum, it was badly affected by the war that began in April 2023, and its population figures are estimates made during the war, not a count.
What Omdurman is known for
- Mahdi's Tomb
- Khalifa House Museum
- Souq Omdurman
- Battle of Omdurman 1898
- West bank of the Nile
- Sufi ceremonies at Hamed al-Nil
Landmarks
- Mahdi's Tomb
- Khalifa House Museum
- Souq Omdurman
- Hamed al-Nil Mosque and Cemetery
- Omdurman Grand Market
- Nile Street waterfront
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Omdurman?
About 1.2 million people live in Omdurman (1,200,000 in a 2025 estimate). That makes Omdurman the second-largest city in Sudan, after Khartoum. It forms part of Greater Khartoum, the three cities together, which had about 7.2 million people before the war that began in April 2023.
What is Omdurman famous for?
Omdurman is famous as the historic capital of the Mahdist state, home to the Mahdi's Tomb and the Khalifa's House Museum, and as the site of the Battle of Omdurman in 1898. It is also known for Souq Omdurman, one of the largest markets in Sudan, and for the Friday Sufi ceremonies at Hamed al-Nil.
Where is Omdurman located?
Omdurman is in central Sudan, on the west bank of the River Nile, opposite and north-west of Khartoum, the capital. It is the second-largest city in the country and sits about 386 metres above sea level. Its coordinates are 15.64° N, 32.48° E, and its time zone is Central Africa Time.
Quick quiz
Three questions from the facts on this page. No sign-up, no score is saved.
Keep exploring
- Sudan — the country Omdurman is in
- Khartoum — another city in Sudan
- Nyala — another city in Sudan
- Port Sudan — another city in Sudan
- All cities in Sudan
- All countries — the full list
Sources & last updated
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.