Sudan is the largest country in Africa. It is in the north of the continent. Several countries touch its borders, including Egypt, Kenya, Uganda, Libya and Chad. The country exports oil when it is not in the midst of one of its ongoing conflicts, including the civil war. Its currency, formerly the dinar, but now the pound, appears under the initials SDG. Subunits include qirush.
History
Sudan for centuries has received coins from its northern neighbor, Egypt. Under the Ptolemy, coins drifted into the country. Money also flowed to the Sudan from the successive rulers and traders in Egypt - the Romans, the Byzantines, the Arabs and the Turks. The currency came from and to the Red Sea port by way of the Nile.
Egypt began to exert control over the country politically in 1820 when it annexed the northern portion of the Sudan. In 1830, the city of Khartoum arose where the two Niles flowed together. By 1885, the British Governor General of Sudan and Mahdi, Mohammad Ahmad began to mint their currency. The General printed paper money while the Mahdi issued silver pieces of modified tughra from a mint at Khartoum. Mahdi’s successor continued the tradition using a mint at Omdurman in 1887.
Sudan saw over the coming few years a mixture of British and Arabic coins. This ended with the Anglo-Egyptian agreement allowing occupation of the Nile Valley to Khartoum. The result was the issuing of British Egyptian coins in the region. An exception to this coinage was the rebel issue of 1909 by ‘Ali Dinar. These coins came fro a mint in Western Sudan in Darfur.
Since then, the Sudan has achieved self-government (1954) and independence (1956). A series of banknotes and coins using the qirsh, the millim and the pound circulated during the 1950s to the 1990s. The original design featured an Arabic inscription and an armed camel rider. The mint was the British Royal Mint. Changes in design occurred over the years including the eagle design of 1975.
The country was split in currency as well as political lines during the 1990s. In 1992, North Sudan had the dinar as its official coinage, while, in the South, it was the pound. In 2007, the pound became the official legal tender. Today coins consist of 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 qirush while banknotes are in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 pounds.
Obtaining Sundanese Pounds
You need to exchange you money if you want to pay your hotel bills or survive. The only sources are moneychangers and banks. There are no ATMs or ABMs.
Protecting Your Currency
Crime is low in places such as Karhtoum. Petty crime, however, is on the rise. You need to take the usual precautions. Do not flash your cash or show signs of affluence. Do not leave your personal belongings alone.
Using Your Sundanese Pounds
You will need the local currency for everything. You must use it to pay your hotel bills, restaurant bills, for transportation and to purchase gifts and souvenirs. If you want to visit a souk, you will need cash to purchase any masks, bead, bone or wooden objects. The local currency can buy a “shamagh” -traditional head gear to protect your head from the sun.
Travel Tips and Warnings
- Take extreme caution when traveling to certain parts of the Sudan. The conflict in other countries sometimes ignores borders.
- Problems in Darfur create a dangerous situation in Western Sudan.
- The usual precautions apply to each country within the union.
- Not all of the land borders are open. Check with local authorities before you try to cross.
- If you are not a citizen, you must register with the Aliens’ Registration Office, Ministry of the Interior, no later than 3 days after your arrival in Khartoum. Be sure you bring two passport-style photos.
- If you want to travel outside Khartoum, you will also require a permit and will need to register at your new destination with the local police.
- Some other places require authorization prior to a visit. This may include the archeological sites of Jebel Barkal and Meroe.
- Sudan is Islamic. The people closely follow traditional and conservative practices. Respect their beliefs. Dress conservatively.
- Be aware, there are places where you cannot take photographs. These include in airports and of military regions, bridges, broadcast stations, public utilities, drainage stations, slums and beggars.
- It is against the law to drive while using your cell phone.
- Visit the highlights of Khartoum. These include the White Nile Bridge where the two Niles meet. Go to the Muslin souk of Omdurman or the Camel Market. There is also the fascinating National Museum and the Ethnographical Museum.
- If can, go to Meroe to see the Royal cemetery of the Meroitic Pharaohs. There are also the pyramids of Karima and the giant mud-brick temples or deffufas of Kerma.
- Visit the palm trees of Dongola or the Temple of Kawa.
- There are the Nuba Mountains or the Taka Mountains to see.
- At El-Obeid there is the cathedral and the Kordofan Museum.
Overview
The
North Africa country of Sudan is a place tourists could flock to if it
were not for the current political issues washing over from border
countries.
For travel information, see www.sudansite.com/toursim.html.
Currency Summary
Current currency: pounds
Coins: 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 qirush
Banknotes: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 pounds