I’m posting this story early as I’m in the wilds of Scotland and won’t have a wifi signal next week.

A lot has happened since I shot this photo story in Omdurman, Sudan in early 2020 – a global pandemic and a devastating war in the Sudan. But there is also a grain of hope now that the Sudanese army have recaptured Khartoum. I have such great memories of the Sudan and I hope that the country will find peace soon.

The Sufi ceremony I witnessed was at Alshikh Hamad Al Neel Cemetery in Omdurman, on the outskirts of Khartoum.

Just before sunset, people would gather to watch a ritual performed by the Sufi Dervishes – a sect of the Islamic community.

As the Dervishes paraded, accompanied by a cacophony of cymbals and drums, they began to chant and pray, creating an atmosphere of wonder in the crowd.

Some of the Sufi’s enter into a trance state, gyrating and throwing up dust in the worship of Allah.

It’s a performance that is as strange as it is captivating, and one that I hope can one day resume in Khartoum.

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