The number of people at Al-Franj Market in central Khartoum rose from three when its reopening began about three months ago to about 100, according to shoe trader Abu al-Qasim Ali. Shop owners are gradually resuming activity amid damage, power shortages and rising maintenance costs.
Commercial activity gradually resumes
Current activity is concentrated in two blocks facing each other on either side of Al-Jumhuriya Street. Shops selling clothing, shoes, watches and eyeglasses have resumed operations, while most shops in the rest of the market remain closed, with damage visible along the street and on the façades.
Othman Qurashi Ahmed was among the first shop owners to return. He resumed repairing vintage watches in his shop, a trade he inherited from his father and grandfathers and began practicing at the age of 16. He said power outages and the effects of the war were hindering a return to the level of activity seen before the war.
Omar Mohamed continues to operate from a shop that was shelled, despite the damage it sustained. He believes the market’s recovery depends on the return of traders and customers and the resumption of activity in the closed shops.
Abu al-Qasim Ali said traders were working to provide alternative shops and expand the available space, but rising maintenance costs had prompted some to display their goods on mobile tables inside the market as a lower-cost option.
A historic commercial center in central Khartoum
Al-Franj Market was once one of the capital’s main commercial areas, known for selling clothing, shoes, fabrics and goods, some of which were imported. Its name was historically associated with Armenian, Greek, Italian and Jewish traders before its composition and commercial activities changed over the years.
The market extends across parts of Al-Jumhuriya Street and the roads branching off it, and includes old landmarks and shops such as Athene, St. James and Papa Costa. At its height, the market combined commercial activity with cafés and social and cultural gatherings.
Social memories return with visitors
Mohamed Moussa Dago said the market had for years been a meeting place for artists and intellectuals and a destination for foreigners, in addition to its commercial activity. He said the traders’ return went beyond reopening shops to restoring the movement and memories associated with the place.
Social researcher Al-Samoual Dia al-Din believes old markets can become part of a city’s social memory through the relationships and memories linked to their buildings, trades and people. He said returning to them after a long interruption reflected people’s desire to restore their connection with places tied to their daily lives.
Montaser Abdullah returned to the market after an absence of about three years. He said the visit brought back old memories, but he was surprised by the scale of the destruction and the changes to some of the shops and landmarks he had been accustomed to seeing.
