The Nilotic Sudan

Islam entered the Sudan as early as the 7th century in a peaceful process. It is clear from both literary and archaeological evidence that Islam has had a presence in Sudan since the first century of the Muslim era, the result of a nonorganized, peaceful process in the Nile Valley, and in the Sahel and deserts through the assimilation of Arab and Beja nomads. From the beginning it has been associated with Sufism, which is reflected in material culture. Thus, instead of the mosque as the main building of religious practice, the khalwa (Quran school) and the qubba (domed saints tomb) are of great significance. Continuity with older forms of belief and practice are also attested in the Islamic archaeology and the material culture of the Sudan, notably in above-ground funerary monuments.