Shendi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Shendi or Shandi (Arabic: شندي) is a town in Sudan, situated on the Nile 150 km northeast of Khartoum, at 16° 41' 29" N and 33° 26' 3" E. Located on the east bank of the Nile, Shandi is the center of the Ja'aliin tribe and an important historic trading center. Its principal suburb on the west bank is Al-Matamma. A major traditional trade route across the Bayuda desert connects Al-Matamma to Marawi and Napata, 250 km to the NW. Shandi is about 45 km SW of the ancient city of Meroe. The 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica relates the following:

"The origin of the name of the town came from the Daju tribe which inhabited it after being forced to migrate south & south-westward after the fall of Meroé in A.D. 350 which had been invaded by the army of Ezana, king of Axum (Ethiopia). The word 'sugaŋdé' or 'chendé' means in the Daju language: 'a sheep' (See Browne, W. G. 1806); this indicates that they were herders who moved south & south-westward to Kordofan and Darfur looking for abundant pasture. The Ababda tribe of Bedouins settled there in the early 19th century. Johann Ludwig Burckhardt passed through on his way to the Red Sea in 1812, and Charles Rothschild discovered the plague vector flea Xenopsylla cheopis there in 1901."

[edit] Economy

Very basic services and infrastructure mean that Shendi exists mainly as a center for trade in agricultural goods from nearby farms. Regular power cuts mean that expansion of the economy into industry remains impossible at the present time. Tourism related activity from the nearby Meriotic ruins is minimal due to a lack of facilities within the town. There is poor or non-existent sanitation and a lack of running water in most homes and businesses.

[edit] Communications

Roads have begun to be laid cross the city however these remain largely unsafe as does the road to the capital Khartoum. The railway station in the city is no longer used for passenger travel however freight trains continue to use the tracks. Mobile telephone coverage exists within the city, neighboring towns of Misiktab and Al Mattamar, outlying villages and the ancient Meriotic pyramids to the north.