Sudan'S Whirling Dervishes

• Photographer
  Marco Marcone
• Photo Date
  2023, january 27

Every Friday dervishes gather an hour before sunset around some of the big mosques in Khartoum and Omdurman. A circle is formed and the ritual begins. Then comes the Zikr, in which the dervishes repeat the word 'Allah' many times. The dervishes start whirling around inside the circle. With the music, the fragrance of burning frankincense, the endless repetition of religious chants, and the dizziness, they go into a state of trance. Although Sudan is in many ways a male-dominated society, women find themselves a place in the crowd. They gather in one corner wearing bright, colourful robes.