Ferry Crossing, Travelling and Change in the Northern Sudan

Abstract

Abstract In the past few years, the transport infrastructure of Sudan has radically changed. New roads, transport hubs, or means of transport have had a significant impact on the culture of travelling, and many of the older institutions connected with the phenomenon are things of the past now. One of those dying out phenomena is ferry crossing on the Nile. It was not long ago that a ferry was the basic means of transport throughout the riverine area of Sudan. It was the way of transporting people and goods, both along the river and across it. Today, because of the new era of modern motorways and bridges, its time is coming to an end. What can we learn about the Sudanese travel practices from the perspective of the Nile ferry? This is a fundamental question I will provide an answer to. In the paper I refer to the field observations made in the Northern Sudan in the village of ad Ghaddar in 2013.