Khartoum is the capital city of Sudan and the largest urban area in the country, with an estimated population of 7.1 million people in Greater Khartoum. It sits at what Gates calls one of the world's great geologic features: the confluence of the White Nile — flowing north from Lake Victoria — and the Blue Nile, flowing west from Lake Tana in Ethiopia. This meeting point is known locally as al-Mogran, or 'The Confluence,' and it is where the two rivers join to form the Nile itself, considered the longest river in the world. Founded in 1821 by Muhammad Ali Pasha, Khartoum is, as Gates himself notes on camera, 'kind of new' relative to the ancient civilizations he came to explore — a bustling modern capital layered over a region with thousands of years of Nubian and Kushite history. Gates used Khartoum as his launching point for a broader investigation into the ancient Kingdom of Kush, taking in the city's modern pulse before heading deeper into Sudan's storied past.
The broader Nile Valley region around Khartoum was part of ancient Nubia, homeland of the Kushite civilization that would flourish for centuries
Khartoum founded by Muhammad Ali Pasha, north of the ancient city of Soba
Siege of Khartoum during the Mahdist War results in the city's capture by Mahdist forces
Khartoum reoccupied by British forces; becomes seat of Anglo-Egyptian Sudan's government
Khartoum designated capital of an independent Sudan
Khartoum massacre occurs during the Sudanese Revolution
Extensive urban combat begins in Khartoum during civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces
Gates and his crew film in Khartoum for S12E01 of Expedition Unknown, capturing what he calls 'some of the last quiet moments Khartoum would have for some time'
Khartoum's significance to archaeologists and historians lies less in the city itself — which dates only to 1821 — and more in its geographic position at the heart of ancient Nubia. The confluence of the White and Blue Nile rivers made this stretch of the Nile Valley one of the most agriculturally productive corridors in the ancient world, and it was this fertility that sustained the Kushite civilization for millennia. As Gates notes on camera, the Nile's life-giving force is commonly associated with ancient Egypt, but the Kushites — flourishing directly to Egypt's south — were equally its beneficiaries.
Mainstream archaeology places the Kingdom of Kush as one of the great African civilizations of antiquity, with its heartland stretching between the Nile's cataracts and encompassing much of what is now Sudan and South Sudan — a region Gates notes covered 'over a million square miles' and 'nearly 10% of the African continent.' Khartoum itself was founded north of the ancient city of Soba, which had served as the capital of the medieval Nubian kingdom of Alodia, underscoring how layers of civilization are embedded in this landscape even when the modern city appears relatively young.
The city's modern history is turbulent. The 1884 Siege of Khartoum during the Mahdist War — in which Anglo-Egyptian forces were overwhelmed — remains one of the most dramatic episodes of the Victorian imperial era. More recently, the 2019 Khartoum massacre during the Sudanese Revolution and the devastating civil war that began in 2023 have left the city scarred. Gates filmed during what he describes as 'some of the last quiet moments Khartoum would have for some time,' lending the episode an unexpectedly poignant historical weight.
For Gates' Expedition Unknown investigation, Khartoum serves as a threshold rather than a destination in itself — a place to orient viewers geographically and culturally before the deeper work of tracing the Kushite civilization begins. The episode does not make archaeological claims about Khartoum proper, but uses the city's confluence, its wrestling traditions, and its political story to frame what the broader investigation is really after: understanding a civilization that mainstream scholarship still considers underappreciated relative to its Egyptian neighbors.
The name 'al-Mogran' — the local name for Khartoum's famous confluence — means 'The Confluence' in Arabic, describing the precise spot where the White and Blue Nile rivers merge to form the Nile.
Khartoum was founded in 1821 by Muhammad Ali Pasha, north of the ancient city of Soba, making it relatively young compared to the thousands-of-years-old Nubian civilizations that surrounded it.
Greater Khartoum has an estimated population of 7.1 million people, making it the largest urban area in Sudan.
The Blue Nile flows into Khartoum from Lake Tana in Ethiopia, while the White Nile arrives from as far south as Lake Victoria — two entirely different source regions converging at a single city.
Khartoum's major cultural institutions — including the National Museum of Sudan and the Khalifa House Museum — have historically been accessible to visitors, though travelers should consult current government travel advisories before planning any trip, as the city experienced significant conflict and destruction during the civil war that began in 2023. The confluence of the White and Blue Nile at al-Mogran is a geographic landmark generally reachable within the city, though on-the-ground conditions may have changed substantially in recent years.
Khartoum is itself the nearest major city; Omdurman, directly across the Nile to the west, is part of the greater metropolitan area.
The cooler months from November through February are generally considered the most comfortable time to visit Khartoum, as summer temperatures in the Sudanese capital can be extremely high. Visitors should verify current safety and entry conditions well in advance of any travel.
Kingdom of Kush Pyramid Tombs
The Kingdom of Kush Pyramid Tombs are the primary archaeological destination Gates investigates in the same episode, with Khartoum serving as his gateway into Kushite civilization.
Alexandria
Alexandria appears in Gates' investigations of ancient civilizations along the Nile corridor, connecting the story of Egypt and Nubia that Khartoum helps introduce.
Tsavo, Kenya
Tsavo, Kenya represents another East African site Gates has explored, part of the broader African investigation territory that contextualizes Sudan's place in the continent's ancient and modern history.
Historical data sourced from Wikipedia