Suakin

19.137.33Koordinaten: 19 ° 6 ' N, 37 ° 20' O

Sawakin (Arabic سواكن, DMG Sawakin; alternative spelling Suakin ) is a port city in the Sudanese state of Al- Bahr al - ahmar and was from the 15th to the 19th century, the most important port on the African coast of the Red Sea.

Location

The city is situated on the Red Sea, some 650 kilometers northeast of Khartoum and about 60 kilometers south of Port Sudan, the capital of the state of al -Bahr al - ahmar. Paved roads lead through Port Sudan to Atbara and to Kassala. Several times a week is a ferry to Jeddah.

History

The legend goes back and explains the name: " Sawakin " is of sawajin, descended plural of sijn ( "prison" ), because the Prophet Sulayman, corresponding to the Old Testament King Solomon, all spirits have ( jinn ) to here condemned and imprisoned should. A ship with Ethiopian virgins said to have been once driven off on the way to the Queen of Sheba in a storm to Suakin. After continuing the journey they noticed that all - had become pregnant - by the jinn.

From the 5th Dynasty, there are reports of expeditions and cruises in the Red Sea to the gold reserves of Punt on Africa's eastern tip. The sheltered bay of Suakin must have been for the Egyptians at least a milestone or a commercial port.

During the Ptolemaic rule over Egypt ( from the end of the 4th century BC) had Suakin importance as a trading port. The Greek historian Diodorus Siculus mentioned in the 1st century BC, the bad climate of Suakin, the high humidity and heat, and referred to the place as Limen evangelists, Ptolemy (c. 100-175 ) the place is called Evangelon Portus. The " port of Good Hope " is described as lying circular island with 1.5 km circumference at the end of a bay, where in addition to other animals elephants were loaded. In that time still wooded Butana Steppe in the hinterland of Suakin elephants were bred.

The Red Sea is presented in Roman and Byzantine times during the first millennium, the most important connection to the Indian Ocean dar. Up to Kosmas Indicopleustes 550 wrote Topographia Christiana missing Testimonies. In the 10th century Suakin was mentioned by the South Arabian scholar al - Hamdani as Old Harbour. In the course of Islamic expansion, there was from the 8th century Arab trading settlements on the Red Sea, these included well Suakin Aidhab the north and the newly established port of Baadi ( Gash Barka level of in today's Eritrea). The latter was abandoned due to unfavorable situation soon. Aidhab was in direct Egyptian control and was from the mid-11th century to 1300 the busiest port on the African side of the Red Sea, but was afterwards from its meaning at Suakin. Suakin was and remained a port in the territory of the Beja, who were nomads around the city partially sedentary.

For Ethiopian Christians and Christians of the Nubian Kingdom of Alwa until its conquest and Islamization by the Funj Suakin was the port of departure for the pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The Arab historian Yakut found 1213 Suakin of Christians from Alwa inhabited. In the 12th century Crusaders penetrated into the Red Sea. Renaud de Châtillon (around 1125-1187 ) of Mecca and Medina to conquer, he and his crew plundered along the way on port cities that have been the scene of several battles against emitted by Saladin armed forces. In the 14th and 15th centuries, some Venetian merchants had settled in the port cities of Massawa and Suakin.

At the time of the Ayyubid dynasty came Suakin by the Sultan in 1215 emitted expedition for the first time under direct Egyptian control and the subsequent Mamluk strove for supremacy over the northern Sudanese trade routes. To ensure this, Sultan Baybars I. 1264 undertook a punitive expedition against the Emir of Suakin, Ala al -Din al - Asbaani, which had assets of deceased merchants appropriated and already ignored a final warning. The attack was led by the Governor of Qu and its General and supported by 50 ships from Aidhab. After Al Asbaani had fled, ruled a Mamluk representatives of the city, against the al - Asbaani made ​​an unsuccessful attack. Shortly after, he was accepted as a local ruler under Egyptian control of Baibars. The Emir of Suakin, which duly paid taxes to the Sultan from 1266, worked in the following together with Egypt and attacked even in 1281 on behalf of the Mamluk successfully in a conflict of Bedouins in the desert a Aidhab.

Al- Asbaani was the descendant of traders from the Hijaz who used connections to Jeddah and Mecca. Also the explorer Ibn Battuta mentioned as ruler a son of the Prince ( Amir ) of Mecca. Ibn Battuta was in 1330 on returning from a pilgrimage and was sailing from Jeddah to Aidhab when his ship came off the course by a storm and he had to seek refuge in the port of Ras Dawir. In his description it is unclear whether he has described Suakin or a nearby island.

Beginning of the 16th century, when the Ottomans had conquered Egypt, Suakin was for a short time to the newly founded Sultanate of Sennar. With the governor of the port island fell in 1540, the commander of a Portuguese fleet, Stefano da Gama in dispute. The Portuguese had traveled from Goa to attack Suez. When they were causing in Suakin heavy damage to the buildings of the city, the Ottomans were forewarned and could the Portuguese back.

1629 Suakin served as the basis for an Ottoman invasion of Yemen, but from the mid-17th century began the economic decline of the city, some of the Arab traders migrated. The port still had significance for the Funj sultanate, he was stopping place for black African slaves and for pilgrims to Mecca. In December it was possible for merchant ships to sail to the north-east wind the African coast towards Mogadishu. With the beginning of the summer monsoon (from April blowing a partly stormy wind from the southwest ) betook themselves the traders from Sennar with gold and ivory on voyage across the Indian Ocean to the Arabian coast countries, from where they returned in the winter months with silk and spices. Due to European encroachment in the 17th and 18th centuries went back this trade, the export of cattle, grain, hides and slaves via Jeddah remained important. The decline in the trade concerned mainly the Arabs on the island, while the population of the Beja, who settled on the mainland, relatively increased. Beginning of the 19th century lived on the island about 3000 inhabitants, on the mainland, there were 5,000 Turkish- Egyptian state was provided by a customs officer. (Turkish: Aga, from the Pasha of Jeddah appointed ) and some bodyguard represent the Beja on the mainland had their own sovereign. The Orient traveler Jean Louis Burckhardt came in 1814 on the way to Mecca by Suakin and reported 600 homes subject two-thirds in ruins.

1865, the city was annexed by Egypt, a year later Pasha Muntaz governor of the island. There new houses were built, existing homes have been restored and enlarged. 1869, the city had a population of 8000. The biggest boom was Suakin towards the end of the Turkish- Egyptian rule until 1883. Incoming camel caravans brought coffee from Ethiopia arabic, ivory, rubber, ostrich feathers of Kordofan and continue cattle and hides. In 1877, Charles Gordon Governor-General of the Turkish- Egyptian Sudan. On his way to Khartoum via Suakin he ordered the construction of a dam from the island to the mainland. 1881 began the Mahdi uprising that was led by Osman Digna in the East, who had previously slavers. Could beat the Anglo- Egyptian army of Baker Pasha in El- Teb near the coast south of Suakin in February 1884. Therefore, the British sent in the same month 5,000 men under Gerald Graham to Suakin to secure the coastal strip along the Red Sea. Graham was able to gain his Osman Digna again near the end of February to drive back later at El - Teb and two weeks in another battle in Tamai, but had to retreat to Suakin. Osman Digna pitched his headquarters at 160 km south Tokar and Suakin was for about 10 years - in addition to the base Wadi Halfa at the Egyptian border area - the only point in Sudan, which was held by the British against the Mahdists. 1886-1888 Horatio Herbert Kitchener was ( ten years later in Omdurman, the Mahdist defeated ), governor of the region around Sawakin. In his arrangement of the existing embankment was replaced by defensive walls of brick with bastions and entrance gates. The walls had to withstand an attack of 1888 Bedscha Army Osman Digna. With the help of skillful to liberate Egyptian troops were defeated in a fierce battle outside the city walls in December 1888, the Mahdi.

As demand for a major port on the Red Sea was, a new harbor was built in 1904 with the founding of Port Sudan created. In Suakin were missing opportunities for expansion and there was not a sufficient supply of drinking water. Another barrier was the many destroyed buildings, which should have been cleared away. However, the built of Atbara to Port Sudan railway was extended until 1906 to Suakin, where a few kilometers in 1884 laid railway tracks has been connected. 1905, there were 10,500 inhabitants. 1910, the British province headquarters was transferred to Port Sudan. The city had lost its meaning, as the last public facilities were moved in 1922 to Port Sudan. The railway line was shut down. In the 1950s, a Housing plan could still be made, and in 1960 were still some houses inhabited. Since there are no intact building more.

Population

For Suakin 44 521 inhabitants ( 2010 calculation ) can be specified. Most are among the Hadendoa, an ethnic group of Beja.

Population development:

The Egyptian traders on the island were followers of Sunni Islam, gave themselves as devout, conservative and felt superior to the Beja on the mainland. In fact, alcohol and prostitution were in the 19th century on the island spread. 1829 was the leader of the Majdhubiya called Sufi Muhammad al- Majdhub as- Sughayir ( 1796-1833 ) by Ed Damer, the center of this Order, to Suakin and began to proselytize among the Beja population. He won influential supporters and numerous supporters among the Beja, by preaching a very rigid Islam, which legitimized by moral claim. The Majdhubiya later fought on the side of the Madhi against the Egyptians and the English.

Cityscape

The former district of the Arab traders located on a circular island at the end of a 2.5 -kilometer-long bay, which is protected by offshore coral reefs. A narrow channel allows only small boats may pass and was ideal for Arab dhows; the modern ferry terminal is located on the south side at the outlet of the bay into the Red Sea. The smaller Condenser island in the bay was once a cemetery and is only recognizable as a shallow sandbar. Opposite the city island, on the southwestern mainland lies the inhabited area of ​​El Geyf, in a semicircle surrounded by recognizable remains of the ancient city wall, which was reinforced with six bastions. To the city walls resulted in a great arc around the railway line to the east side of the lagoon, where until 1900 the system of a modern city was planned. Was located on the north side of the channel near the sea a quarantine station for pilgrims to Mecca with barracks, in the 1950s were still waiting area for thousands of people.

Island

The city was comparable to other Arab, rich trading cities on the Red Sea: Massawa, Jeddah, Hodeida or mocha. All had multi-storey, whitewashed houses whose facades were divided with ornate wooden windows or balconies. The houses in Suakin were built of white limestone, which was won when excavating the channel or from a quarry on the south side of the bay. In addition to these two to dreistockigen townhouses there were some houses with courtyard and is a prestigious reception area ( Ivan ). All houses had a compartment in the back of the women's section, or on the upper floors. On the ground floor was usually a store or warehouse, roofs or balconies served for sleeping.

The houses had as a special mark of Java teak wood made ​​window grilles ( Mashrabiyas ) provide shade and elaborately decorated, and 2.40 meters wide wooden oriel ( Roshan ). With the wood trim can be distinguished two styles. At the time of Egyptian rule in the 19th century only covered balconies were used instead of the former " Turkish " bay windows, which were closed on three sides with shutters attached. Until the 19th century there were about 200 houses on the island, of which three or four large buildings. In the middle of the island was the oldest house in 1518, the Beit el Pasha, the residence of the first Turkish governor. It is no longer be determined in the rubble.

Access to the island through the ( the only building on the island restored ) Gordons Gate along the central market street to the Hanafi Mosque. For the two main Sunni legal schools ( madhhab ) of the Hanafi and Shafi'i was built of its own mosque. A few meters to the east is the remains of the mosque with Schafa'i still partially preserved prayer niche ( mihrab ) and the minbar are next to it, which is covered by a canopy on stone pillars. The mosques a courtyard, which is surrounded on all sides by a row of round arches Hall ( Sahn ). It should have been three mosques on the island, of which no remains are more evident. There were six private prayer rooms ( Zawiya ), the largest was the Musai Zawia with a central dome.

The representative building of the authorities lined up at the water in the northern part of the island. Partial get here are the customs office which is indicated by the curved portal next to the slightly smaller roadhouse ( Muhafsa ), which was built in 1866 as the Government Palace. Westward along the shore follow the telegraph office, a vierstockiges residential buildings and the formerly most beautiful of the older residential buildings, the house of Khorshid Effendi, built around a large courtyard and a stately Ivan possessed. In contrast, the newer building of the Egyptian National Bank provided the south by and with arcades directly on the waterfront represents a rather strict, angular construction From the first floor, the walls are partly preserved.

Mainland

The commissioned by Gordon dam is about 50 feet long and extends the access road to the mainland by the one kilometers north Kitchener - gate at the outer city wall to the smaller Gordons Gate on the island. The built in Bedscha suburb, the area of ​​El Geyf in the 19th century two-storey buildings are in a similar state as debris on the island or they are badly in need of renovation, but previously used by the local administration and police. There are three mosques that are in use, the largest corresponding in shape to the Schafa'i Mosque on the island.

Accommodation at Bedscha consist of simple mud-brick houses in the Sudanese style, shacks or on the outskirts of the traditional boat-shaped round tents with wooden frames, which are covered by braided mats. Economic base is the vibrant market, which serves to supply the local population with daily consumer goods, and fishing in small boats. In the north, a slum area has emerged in the area of the former city wall.

Others

In 1950, the dipping pioneer Hans Hass turned a large part of his film adventures in the Red Sea in the ruins of Suakin. Are shown several photos of the city Devil in the Red Sea from 1952: In his book Manta. In Shaab Anbar, a diving area just off the coast of Sawakin, came in 1957 Klaus Wissel during the second Xarifa expedition of hate killed.

Sons and daughters of the town

• Osman Digna, a general in the army of Mahdiya