Omdurman is a city on the river Nile in Sudan, opposite the capital, Khartoum. Though it is often considered a poor suburb of Khartoum, Omdurman has a population of over 1.2 million (1993) and is the largest city in the country and the national center of commerce. With Khartoum and Khartoum North , it forms the cultural and industrial heart of the nation.

In 1884, Muhammad Ahmad, the "Mahdi," made his military headquarters in the village of Omdurman. Following the defeat of the besieged British defenders of Khartoum in 1885, the Mahdi's successor, Khalifa Addallah, made Omdurman his capital. The city, now the location of the tomb of the Mahdi, grew rapidly. However in the Battle of Omdurman (which actually took place in the nearby village of Karari ), Lord Kitchener decisively defeated the Mahdist forces, ensuring British control over the Sudan. Although most of the city was destroyed in the battle, the Mahdi's tomb was restored and refurbished.