Archaeology and architecture of Islamic cities in the Sudan: (Suakin as a case study)

The site of Suakin lies on the Red Sea coast of Sudan about 45 km south of Port Sudan city. It is important through having been the main Red Sea trade port for inland Africa throughout the later Mediaeval and early modern periods, with links from Scotland to China. It was a major port for the Hajj, and formed one of the nodes in the Indian Ocean and Red Sea trade network at least as early as 10th-12th century AD. Architecturally, the site is significant, since it comprises the remains of a complete town built in the local coral, forming one of the few remaining examples of the Red Sea style of architecture. The paper involves and focusing on the history, archaeology and architecture of the site, together with a future plan of preserving the site beside the current study and work in the area and community outreach.

Keywords:

Suakin , Red Sea , Islamic Architecture , Sudan