Dr. Zain Haider Obaid, a graduate of the Faculty of Geography, Damascus University, conducted a study titled “The Experience of Removing the Old Khartoum Market” as part of her diploma in urban planning at the Development Studies and Research Institute of Khartoum University. In an interview with Studio Urban, Dr. Zain talks about the old Khartoum Market which was built in 1903 to cater for the needs of the city’s residents and which played an important role in distributing the state's agricultural products. Dr. Zain also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the old market and the consequences of its removal and recalls her childhood memories at the old market, where she used to go with her father to buy family supplies.

Dr. Zain’s research talks in detail about the old market and its social and economic value to central Khartoum and describes how the market used to be made up of eight sectors, some of which were tourist attractions. She also describes the reasons why the market was removed, such as to make way for traffic junctions, pollution, and promises to upgrade the urban space.

Dr. Zain’s research explains that the decision to remove the market was not necessarily a bad one, however troubles with implementation, and the fact that most of the promised solutions were not fulfilled, was problematic. The research lists all the regulations and policies that stipulated the inclusion of the merchants of the Khartoum Market in the new development and ensured that the markets were located fairly and logically. In her interview thirty years after the market was removed, Dr. Zain reflects on the promises that were made, such as developing the urban public space in Khartoum, allocating offices for government use, and finding solutions to the problem of traffic. She points to the “five-star,” up-market Al-Waha Mall, as an example of a broken promise and the use of the land, where part of the old market stood, to construct an outlet which targeted the rich and pushed away those from lower economic backgrounds who had frequented the old market.

Finally, the study reviews the alternative neighborhood markets that were built all around Khartoum and how most of them failed as a result of their initial design and their placement in open public spaces, but also how they did not have the social and cultural impact the Khartoum Market had as they were isolated and only functioned for a few hours everyday. Nevertheless, Dr. Zain gives an example of one successful case of a neighborhood market in western Khartoum. She says the demographic of the area, their consumption culture and large number of population as well as the lack of access to food markets in the region and proximity to public transport, contributed to its thriving.

Accompanying this interview are some image extracts from the original document.

The interview was conducted by Studio Urban in an attempt to “Document Spatial Narratives” in Khartoum as part of a range of interviews with a diverse group of Khartoum residents, each sharing their memories and insights about Khartoum's famous places.

About a Space podcast is a sub-series to the Khartoum Podcast.

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Header picture © Azza Mohamed, Studio Urban

Gallery pictures © Dr. Zain Haider Obaid, extracts from thesis titled The Experience of Removing the Old Khartoum Market