The Hawliyah (death anniversary) of the Sharifah Maryam Al-Mirghaniyah: sons of the Bija tribe at the camel racecourse

Koranic school

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Collection: frederiquecifuentes.sufitraditionsinsudan

Description: Koranic school

Sudanese women in Sabonabe Sennar State

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Collection: frederiquecifuentes.sufitraditionsinsudan

Description: Sudanese women in Sabonabe Sennar State.

Al-Mawlid celebration in Omdurman

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Collection: frederiquecifuentes.sufitraditionsinsudan

Description: Al-Mawlid celebration in Omdurman.

Gathering at the mausoleum (Maqam) of the founding saint of the Burhaniya Tariqa, Sheick Muhammad Uthman Abdu al Burhani

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Collection: frederiquecifuentes.sufitraditionsinsudan

Description: Gathering at the mausoleum (Maqam) of the founding saint of the Burhaniya Tariqa, Sheikh Muhammad Uthman Abdu al Burhani.

Sudanese women in Sabonabe Sennar State

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Collection: frederiquecifuentes.sufitraditionsinsudan

Description: Sudanese women in Sabonabe Sennar State.

Sudanese women in Sabonabe Sennar State

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Collection: frederiquecifuentes.sufitraditionsinsudan

Description: Sudanese women in Sabonabe Sennar State.

Rituals of Sufi women, Al-Mawlid celebration in Omdurman

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Collection: frederiquecifuentes.sufitraditionsinsudan

Description: Rituals of Sufi women, Al-Mawlid celebration in Omdurman. Sudanese women practising the Zhikr, Sammaniya Sufi group, Omdurman, Sudan.

Sudanese women in Sabonabe Sennar State

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Collection: frederiquecifuentes.sufitraditionsinsudan

Description: Sudanese women in Sabonabe Sennar State.

Koranic school

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Collection: frederiquecifuentes.sufitraditionsinsudan

Description: Koranic school

Woman sheikha surrounded by her followers, Sudanese women in Sabonabe Sennar State

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Collection: frederiquecifuentes.sufitraditionsinsudan

Description: Woman sheikha surrounded by her followers. Sudanese women in Sabonabe Sennar State.

A gathering at the mausoleum (Maquam) of the founding saint

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Collection: frederiquecifuentes.sufitraditionsinsudan

Description: A gathering at the mausoleum (Maquam) of the founding saint. For pilgrims who have come from all over Sudan and from throughout the world, the centre of the festival is situated within the hexagonal mausoleum, which is busy night and day throughout the length of the festival. Followers come to gather at the tomb of Sheikh Mohammed Osman. Upon entry to this holy site a sense of serenity is noticed. Anyone may seek refuge here and whoever does so shares a moment of his or her life with the saint who lies beneath the dome, recently ornamented with calligraphy. A jar full of holy water accompanies the ritual of the visit to the saints tomb. During the long night, children, women and men may doze off alongside their protector saint whilst awaiting the Morning Prayer that closes the festival. Khartoum, Sudan.

Sufi ceremony

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Collection: frederiquecifuentes.sufitraditionsinsudan

Description: Collective ritual. Disciples have to follow certain rules of conduct and spiritual exercises in order to progress towards God and to elevate themselves to the ranks of the pure. Men gather beneath the Burhani banner during the long night of Holiya to begin the ritual of Hadra, also known as Dhikr, from midnight until dawn. Disciples arranged in rows perform increasingly rapid rhythmic movements. They begin with a semi-circular motion from right to left and continue upright while flexing their legs. Dhikr is the spiritual method consisting of incantation of the name of Allah together with these specific movements. The objective of Dhikr is to purify the hearts of disciples and to bring them to a subtle and refined state of ecstasy. Women do not participate directly in Dhikr but allow themselves to be absorbed by the melodies sung by the Munshidin who cast a spell over this holy night. Khartoum, Sudan.

Sudanese women in Sabonabe Sennar State

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Collection: frederiquecifuentes.sufitraditionsinsudan

Description: Sudanese women in Sabonabe Sennar State

Sufi traditions in Sudan

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Collection: frederiquecifuentes.sufitraditionsinsudan

Description: During the week long Holiya festival followers reunite every night on an esplanade in a suburb of Khartoum. Some remain seated or else practice the Dhikr ritual. Thoughts are carried towards the heart of the night, soothed by the movements and songs of the ritual. One can rest for a while within the enclosure of the mausoleum or venture outside the sacred walls to sample an infusion of hibiscus flowers nimbly prepared by the Sudanse ladies comfortably installed in their little oriental salons by the side of the road. The warm welcome given by these small street traders forms part of the decoration and it complements a serene contemplation of the spectacle of the long night. Khartoum, Sudan.