After a week or so in Khartoum, we felt as if we had lived there forever. Interspersed between a hectic schedule of meetings and being shuttled from one office to another, we slowly absorbed the rhythm of life in Khartoum. Shopping for cookies, and snacks at the Western style supermarkets, watching students mingle and chat after classes at snack shops, coming across dating couples along the banks of the Nile, having dinner at Sudanese fast food joints and juice bars surrounded by boisterous families, we learnt about life in Khartoum.

Sudanese women in tobes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was in the markets however that we got a flavor of real Khartoum. Just like any other city, the markets in Khartoum were the soul of the city. Surrounded by noise, energy and dust, the markets were a bustle with rows and rows of shops, selling items such as dried foods, clothing, souvenirs, shoes, jewelry and more. Some sections of the market were the dominions of women.

Most of the women that we saw around us were from Northern Sudan. From their attire I would assume that they were mostly Muslim. Irrespective of the religion, the confidence and inner beauty that these women had was instantly noticeable.  The women browsed in groups or by themselves buying bejeweled sandals, bargaining over scarves in fuchsia, sky blue, lime green or brightly patterned tobes. Most of the women were wearing tobes, quite similar in appearance to the sari in South Asia. The few meters of fabric are wrapped around the body in a style that looks like a long skirt with a matching shawl on top.

We had a more intimate look in to the lives of the women in Khartoum just a few days later. A local Sudanese staff member took us to her salon so we could put henna on our hands. The building looked quite uninspiring from the outside, with only a small sign in Arabic to indicate that it was a salon. Inside. the women were putting henna on their hands and feet, getting hair treatments, massages and other body treatments. We were met with confident gazes and mirthful smiles as we walked in. There was no shyness, no hesitation about welcoming virtual strangers into their world. The women who worked at the salon made us feel one of their group, offering to share their lunch with us. As we lounged around afterwards, waiting for the henna to dry, there was a relaxed note in the air. My henna-ed hands

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conversation topics ranged around where we are from, what we thought of Sudan, onto marriage, men, relationships. The universality of topics of conversation, of the enjoyment of what it means to be female, transcended religion, and ethnicity. Our group is made up of members of different religions, from all over the world and yet we all felt equally comfortable in spending an afternoon of shared laugher and conversation with the Sudanese women in the salon.