Living on the remains of a medieval capital. Intermingled past and present at Soba

10.32028/9781803274096-212-224

The land covered by the remains of the medieval city of Soba is currently part of a rapidly developing suburb of Khartoum. The people who live in the region now do not consider the inhabitants of the medieval kingdom as their ancestors. However, in the course of the fieldwork conducted in 2019-2020 and 2021-2022, the complex world of attitudes towards the remains has been explored throught interviews (qualitative approach). Legends, anecdotes, life stories and the analysis of shared breakthrough events are elements of memory where the historical Soba is often present and in various roles. Modern Soba has an extensive and rich folklore, firmly connected with the archaeological site. The results of this research will be used to develop community archaeology projects in the region.