Sennar
Encyclopedia
Sennar is a town on the Blue Nile
in Sudan
and capital of the state of Sennar
. For several centuries it was the capital of the Funj
Kingdom of Sennar. It had an estimated population of 100,000 inhabitants in the early 19th century. The modern town lies 17km SSE of the ruins of the ancient capital. It is located close to Sennar Dam
, which spurred agricultural activity when it was created in 1925 for crop irrigation
. The Sinnar Dam was designed, built and subsequently managed by the English engineer, Stephen "Roy" Sherlock.
Today there are two towns bearing the name Sennar. Sennar Junction, the older one, which represents an actual continuation to the ancient Sennar, both in time and geographical location, the junction element came from the fact that many railways intersect there, it being in the heart of the country, which accompanied the invasion of Sudan during the British colonisation at the end of eighteenth century. The other is Sennar Al-Madeena (i.e Sennar Town), 5km ESE of the Junction, located beside the Sennar Dam. It was built over the ruins of a small village called Mok-waar which was notable in the former cultures of the tribes of African origins who lived there before the arrival of Arab tribes to the Sudan.
The city is home to Sinnar University, established in 1977.
Blue Nile
The Blue Nile is a river originating at Lake Tana in Ethiopia. With the White Nile, the river is one of the two major tributaries of the Nile...
in Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
and capital of the state of Sennar
Sennar (state)
Sennar is one of the 15 wilayat or states of Sudan. It has an area of 37,844 km² and an estimated population of approximately 1,100,000 . Singa is the capital of Sennar State. Another significant town is Sennar , largest city in the state...
. For several centuries it was the capital of the Funj
Funj people
The Funj are an ethnic group in present day Sudan. Their origins are not clearly known, but they are recorded as moving into Nubia from the Sudd to the south in the early 16th century, fleeing the pressure of the Shilluk...
Kingdom of Sennar. It had an estimated population of 100,000 inhabitants in the early 19th century. The modern town lies 17km SSE of the ruins of the ancient capital. It is located close to Sennar Dam
Sennar Dam
The Sennar Dam is a dam on the Blue Nile near the town of Sennar, Sudan. It was built in 1925 by the British engineer, desert explorer and adventurer, Stephen "Roy" Sherlock, under the direction of Weetman Pearson. The dam is 3025 meters long, with a maximum height of 40 meters . It provides...
, which spurred agricultural activity when it was created in 1925 for crop irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
. The Sinnar Dam was designed, built and subsequently managed by the English engineer, Stephen "Roy" Sherlock.
Today there are two towns bearing the name Sennar. Sennar Junction, the older one, which represents an actual continuation to the ancient Sennar, both in time and geographical location, the junction element came from the fact that many railways intersect there, it being in the heart of the country, which accompanied the invasion of Sudan during the British colonisation at the end of eighteenth century. The other is Sennar Al-Madeena (i.e Sennar Town), 5km ESE of the Junction, located beside the Sennar Dam. It was built over the ruins of a small village called Mok-waar which was notable in the former cultures of the tribes of African origins who lived there before the arrival of Arab tribes to the Sudan.
The city is home to Sinnar University, established in 1977.
Demographics
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1973 (Census) | 28.546 |
| 1983 (Census) | 42.803 |
| 1993 (Census) | 72.187 |
| 2007 (Estimate) | 143.059 |