Tourist Places to Visit in Kassala, Sudan, Africa

Tourist Places to Visit in Kassala, Sudan, Africa

Kassala is a town and the capital of the Kassala State in Sudan, located in the eastern part of the country between 15°27′ N latitude and 36°24′ E longitude. It is situated on the Khartoum-Port Sudan highway, around 460 km east of Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. Kassala is a well known market town and is also popular for its fruit gardens. The Kassala University and Khatmiyya Hasan tomb are the two important landmarks of Kassala. Kassala is one of the noted tourist destinations of Sudan with many historic structures, traditional markets and natural attractions.

History of Kassala:

Kassala originated as a military camp for the soldiers of the Ottoman Empire in the year 1840. Kassala fell under the rule of the Mahdists in 1885 and later in 1894, the result of the Battle of Kassala made Kassala a part of the Italians. After three years of this incident, the Kingdom of Italy handed over Kassala to the Kingdom of Egypt. Kassala had also come under the British rule as a part of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan from 1899 to 1956, when the independence of Sudan was declared from the fist of the British.

Connectivity to Kassala:

The Kassala Airport is served by Sudan Airways with scheduled flights from the country’s capital Khartoum and by Nova Airways from Khartoum and Asmara. The airport is situated around 11 km away from the city centre.

Kassala is also gettable by bus from Khartoum, which takes around 7 hours by standard buses.

One important advice for visitors is taking permit from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs in the Khartoum city as it is necessary to visit Kassala. It is asked at the entrance of the city. Minibuses are mainly used for local travel in Kassala.

Food and Shopping in Kassala:

Coffee making equipments, mats, baskets and traditional costumes are worth a price in Kassala’s traditional markets.

Kassala’s restaurants are famous for serving visitors with a variety of mouthwatering Sudanese specialties, of which the most famous dishes are fuul, tagaliya and bamiya.

Things to do in Kassala:

Mountain climbing
Visiting surrounding villages
Shopping at traditional markets

Places of interest in Kassala:

Khatmiyya Hasan tomb:

The Khatmiyya Hasan tomb is one of the top tourist attractions of Kassala. It is overlooked by three mountain peaks Taka, Totil and Aweitila. The tomb is of a holy man Seyyid Hassan, who is buried in a roofless dome close to a partially ruined mosque. There is also a Qur’anic school for boys in the vicinity of tomb.

Jebel Totil:

The Jebel Totil is a peak overlooking the tomb of Khatmiyya Hasan. It can be climbed up, which would be a nice experience for visitors. One can taste the best coffee of Kassala at cafes near Jebel Totil.

Markets in Kassala:

Markets in Kassala are one of the best places in Sudan to buy genuine Sudanese handicrafts. The famous market is Souq an-Niswaan, where typical Sudanese products like mats, baskets, and coffee making equipments are specials. Souq ar-Rashaida is another popular market in Kassala, well known for colored jellabiyas and black robes (cloths).

List of other places of interest in and around Kassala include:

Gash River
The old railway quarter Sikka Hadiid
Sawagi Janubiyya (group of villages) with fruit gardens
Port Sudan
Sudan Art Diwan
Sudan National Museum
Jebel Barkal
Tuti Island
University of Khartoum
Jabal al-Awliya’ Dam
Pyramids of Meroe
Temple of Amun
Pyramids of Gebel Barkal
Khartoum War Cemetery

When to visit Kassala?

The best time to visit Kassala depends on visitors’ interest, although the most popular time is from December to March.

Hotels in Kassala:

Compared to other Sudanese cities, except the capital Khartoum, Kassala owns an upgraded hospitality industry with all sorts of modernized tourist favor hotels. Below are some recommended hotels to stay in Kassala: