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The book of Khartoum
The History of Khartoum, written by historian Dr Mohamed Ibrahim Abu Salim, was published in 1979 and is considered one of the most important modern references on the urban planning history of Greater Khartoum to this day. Dr Abu Salim joined the Sudan Archive Service which, at the time, was a small department specialised in preserving documents at the Ministry of Interior. He then developed the department into what became the National Records Office.
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The History of Khartoum, written by historian Dr Mohamed Ibrahim Abu Salim, was published in 1979 and is considered one of the most important modern references on the urban planning history of Greater Khartoum to this day. Dr Abu Salim joined the Sudan Archive Service which, at the time, was a small department specialised in preserving documents at the Ministry of Interior. He then developed the department into what became the National Records Office. Abu Salim received his PhD in Philosophy of History from the University of Khartoum in 1966. His name and career are associated with the development of documentation and historiography in Sudan.
In his introduction, Dr Abu Salim mentions that the bulk of the “Book of Khartoum" was gathered from a collection of articles published in the Khartoum Magazine, which was published by the Ministry of National Guidance in Sudan at the time. Dr Abu Salim relied on many sources including Sudan’s National Records Office, the University of Khartoum Library, the Egyptian Book House and the Arab National Archives in Cairo.
The Khartoum Magazine did not only focus on the city of Khartoum, but dealt with a variety of topics and included articles, stories, anecdotes and poems from all of Sudan’s cities. Articles in the magazine included ‘The New Khartoum’ and ‘The Extensions of Khartoum’ written by Dr Abu Salim, as well as other articles by other experts and writers. The articles were not limited to a historical description or account of the cities, but also touched on issues related to the processes of urbanisation and city planning that were taking place in the city at that time.
The following is an excerpt from the article ‘The Extensions of Khartoum’ in which Dr Abu Salim comments on the damage caused by the increase in land distribution to low-income citizens:
‘As this article appears at a time when the state is distributing land to low-income people, we should point out that housing is an important aspect of human life, especially in a country where almost everyone has a house to live in; whether it is made of straw, leather or mud, a house is a necessary factor for stability and mental well-being. However, there are problems behind increased land distribution, perhaps the most important of which is that the distribution creates a class of owners, especially now that the general trend is to own property for rent and benefit financially from it, and this actually means that many of the savings of cities will be converted into houses that may not find anyone to rent them. In addition to that, many people who do not have the financial means to build, will receive plots of land, and will have to borrow funds, whether they are civil servants or any others. This will in turn mean that this class of already burdened citizens will be in more debt and I also fear that over time increases in construction costs and materials, will become a burden on the poor.
In order to prevent or minimise these risks, the state should not insist that the construction be done within a specific time, but rather allow for longer timeframes so that the poor can build little by little and limit the rise in prices and costs. It should also provide building materials, especially local materials, and make them accessible to the poor.’
Khartoum Magazine, issue No. 6, March 1967, (p. 76)
The History of Khartoum, written by historian Dr Mohamed Ibrahim Abu Salim, was published in 1979 and is considered one of the most important modern references on the urban planning history of Greater Khartoum to this day. Dr Abu Salim joined the Sudan Archive Service which, at the time, was a small department specialised in preserving documents at the Ministry of Interior. He then developed the department into what became the National Records Office. Abu Salim received his PhD in Philosophy of History from the University of Khartoum in 1966. His name and career are associated with the development of documentation and historiography in Sudan.
In his introduction, Dr Abu Salim mentions that the bulk of the “Book of Khartoum" was gathered from a collection of articles published in the Khartoum Magazine, which was published by the Ministry of National Guidance in Sudan at the time. Dr Abu Salim relied on many sources including Sudan’s National Records Office, the University of Khartoum Library, the Egyptian Book House and the Arab National Archives in Cairo.
The Khartoum Magazine did not only focus on the city of Khartoum, but dealt with a variety of topics and included articles, stories, anecdotes and poems from all of Sudan’s cities. Articles in the magazine included ‘The New Khartoum’ and ‘The Extensions of Khartoum’ written by Dr Abu Salim, as well as other articles by other experts and writers. The articles were not limited to a historical description or account of the cities, but also touched on issues related to the processes of urbanisation and city planning that were taking place in the city at that time.
The following is an excerpt from the article ‘The Extensions of Khartoum’ in which Dr Abu Salim comments on the damage caused by the increase in land distribution to low-income citizens:
‘As this article appears at a time when the state is distributing land to low-income people, we should point out that housing is an important aspect of human life, especially in a country where almost everyone has a house to live in; whether it is made of straw, leather or mud, a house is a necessary factor for stability and mental well-being. However, there are problems behind increased land distribution, perhaps the most important of which is that the distribution creates a class of owners, especially now that the general trend is to own property for rent and benefit financially from it, and this actually means that many of the savings of cities will be converted into houses that may not find anyone to rent them. In addition to that, many people who do not have the financial means to build, will receive plots of land, and will have to borrow funds, whether they are civil servants or any others. This will in turn mean that this class of already burdened citizens will be in more debt and I also fear that over time increases in construction costs and materials, will become a burden on the poor.
In order to prevent or minimise these risks, the state should not insist that the construction be done within a specific time, but rather allow for longer timeframes so that the poor can build little by little and limit the rise in prices and costs. It should also provide building materials, especially local materials, and make them accessible to the poor.’
Khartoum Magazine, issue No. 6, March 1967, (p. 76)
