Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Sudan Al Matammah Battle of Abu Klea Memorial

Battle of Abu Klea Memorial

A remote monument to one of the fiercest battles fought by the Victorian British Army.

Al Matammah, Sudan

Added By
Andrasta
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
British graves at the battle site of Abu Klea   Andrasta / Atlas Obscura User
Memorial at the battle site of Abu Klea   Andrasta / Atlas Obscura User
The Battle of Abu Klea by William Barnes Wollen   Public Domain
Sketch map of battlefield of Abu Klea   Public Domain
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Far out in the Bayuda desert, seven hours' drive north of Khartoum, lies an almost forgotten memorial to a very famous battle, Abu Klea.

On the 17th of January, 1885, a British column of approximately 1,400 men on its way to relieve the besieged General Gordon in Khartoum was attacked by 13,000 Mahdist forces. Even though the action didn’t last that long (about 15 minutes), Abu Klea has become infamous as one of the hardest battles ever fought by the British Army.

In that brief period, extreme violence occurred that turned “the sand of the desert sodden red” with the blood of over 1,000 Dervish and 81 British troops killed. It was also one of the few occasions a British square had been broken by “native” troops, as immortalized in Rudyard Kipling’s poem “Fuzzy Wuzzy.”       

A memorial stone erected shortly after the battle names the British dead and marks the spot where the front left of the square was approximately positioned. The battle site is in a remote area not easily reached and therefore rarely visited, but for those who make the journey little has changed in 132 years. A lunar landscape added to the ferocious heat and stinging wind make for a hostile environment, walking on the ironstone surface makes matters even jollier as electric shocks are created with virtually anything subsequently touched. It really doesn’t take much imagination to picture the fierce fighting which took place there under such harsh conditions.

Graves of British soldiers dot the surrounding area; they are marked with stones and their bones are, according to local tribesmen, occasionally uncovered due to the relentless wind. Those same locals appear to treat the site with a wary respect and claim the place is visited by spirits of the dead. If there was one truly haunted place on Earth then surely there could not be many better contenders than this. 

Related Tags

Memorials War History Victorian Deserts History War Memorial Gravestones Graves Military

Know Before You Go

The only practical way to reach Abu Klea is with the help of local people, it is mostly off-road driving across the Bayuda desert and involves at least a one night stay in a local village, there is no village close to the site itself. Travel Agents in Khartoum are willing to arrange the trip for a reasonable sum, including an overnight village stay. Be prepared for most of the village residents deciding to come along for the ride as “advisors”!

Community Contributors

Added By

Andrasta

Edited By

Meg

  • Meg

Published

November 21, 2017

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Abu_Klea
  • https://geographic.org/geographic_names/name.php?uni=-855&fid=5851&c=sudan
Battle of Abu Klea Memorial
Abu Klea
Al Matammah
Sudan
17.05, 33.25
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Meroe Pyramids

Shendi, Sudan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Sudan

Sudan

Africa

Places 9
Stories 5

Nearby Places

Meroe Pyramids

Shendi, Sudan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Sudan

Sudan

Africa

Places 9
Stories 5

Related Places

  • Westminster, Vermont

    Grave of William French

    This man's death led (indirectly) to Vermont's independence in 1777.

  • The Canadian National Vimy Ridge Memorial.

    Givenchy-en-Gohelle, France

    Canadian National Vimy Memorial

    A monument to the thousands of Canadian soldiers who died capturing the French ridge during World War I.

  • Qurain, Kuwait

    Al-Qurain Martyrs Museum

    The site of a bloody showdown between invading Iraqi forces and a cell of the popular resistance in Kuwait.

  • Singapore in use, pulling a passenger train.

    Rutland, England

    The Singapore

    A locomotive that was captured as a prisoner of war is now recognized as a WWII memorial.

  • Portuguese Fireplace.

    Hampshire, England

    Portuguese Fireplace

    This unlikely memorial honors the Canadian and Portuguese laborers who felled trees for the Allies in World War I.

  • Corporal Chas Ippel on the right, died on July 26, 1863.

    Arlington, Virginia

    Headstone-Eating Trees

    The rogue roots are gradually consuming some of the historic marble grave markers.

  • Confederate Mound.

    Chicago, Illinois

    Confederate Mound

    The final resting place of up to 6,000 Confederate soldiers, the largest mass grave in the Western Hemisphere.

  • Douglas’s marker in Cedar Hill Cemetery

    Vicksburg, Mississippi

    Grave of Douglas the Confederate Camel

    The final resting place of the camel who served with the Confederate Army during the Civil War.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.