c. 2500 BCE
Kerma emerges
An early Nile-centred urban and political centre develops in Upper Nubia.
Kermaapproximate dateNeeds citationOpen event →
Timeline
Sudan through time
A chronological spine for the Kurmei knowledge graph. Dates become more precise as sources are reviewed.
Open event →
c. 750 BCE
Kush rises
The Kingdom of Kush becomes a major power in the Nile Valley.
Nubiaapproximate dateNeeds citationOpen event →
c. 300 BCE
Meroë becomes central
Meroë becomes a major centre of Kushite political and economic life.
Meroëapproximate dateNeeds citationOpen event →
1821
Turco-Egyptian conquest
Egyptian-Ottoman forces establish control over much of Sudan.
Khartoum regionNeeds citationOpen event →
1881
Mahdist Revolution
Muhammad Ahmad declares himself Mahdi, beginning a movement that reshapes Sudanese politics.
SudanNeeds citationOpen event →
1956
Sudan becomes independent
Sudan becomes an independent state on 1 January 1956.
KhartoumNeeds citationOpen event →
2019
Revolution and transition
Mass protests contribute to the fall of Omar al-Bashir and a subsequent political transition.
KhartoumNeeds citationOpen event →
2023
War begins
Fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces begins in April 2023 and expands across the country.
KhartoumNeeds citationOpen event →