Gallabat القلابات | |
|---|---|
Village | |
  Gallabat Location in Sudan | |
| Coordinates:12°58′N36°09′E / 12.967°N 36.150°E /12.967; 36.150 | |
| Country |  Sudan |
| State | Al Qadarif |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (EAT) |
Gallabat (Arabic:القلابات) is a village in theSudanese state ofAl Qadarif. It lies at one of the country's border crossing points withEthiopia; on the other side of theborder is Ethiopia's corresponding border villageMetemma.
The town and district form a small ethnographical island in Al Qadarif, having been founded in the 18th century by a colony ofTakruri fromDarfur, who, finding the spot a convenient resting-place for their fellow-pilgrims on their way toMecca and back, obtained permission from theEmperor of Ethiopia to make a permanent settlement there.[1][2] Lying on the main trade route fromSennar toGondar (some 90 miles to the east) as well as being the center of the frontier province ofRas al-Fil, Gallabat grew into a trade center of some importance. The Scottish explorerJames Bruce (who calls the townHor-Cacamoot) spent two months in the town in 1772, disabled withdysentery which was cured only by the herbs of a local medicine-man and the attentions of his companion Yasin.[3]
One notable ruler of Gallabat was Sheikh Miri, who has been described as "probably the most celebrated of these border chiefs". The Sheikh formed an alliance with theKhedive some time afterMuhammad Ali of Egypt had conquered theSennar sultanate in 1821, and proclaimed himself independent of the Ethiopian Empire. He accompanied the Egyptians in their raid on Gondar, but apparently escapedthe ambush which theDejazmach ('Commander of the main army')Kenfu Hailu had sprung on the raiders. In 1838 EmperorTewodros avenged the sack of Gondar with an attack on Gallabat; Sheikh Miri, with many of the Takruri, was killed.[2]
In about 1870, theEgyptians garrisoned Gallabat. In 1886, the town was attacked by followers ofAbdallahi ibn Muhammad (the successor ofMuhammad Ahmad) and sacked. From Gallabat, aMahdist raiding party penetrated to Gondar inEthiopia. The Mahdists then looted Gondar. In March 1889, in revenge, an Ethiopian army underEmperorYohannes IV attacked the Mahdists close to Gallabat[1] in what is known as theBattle of Gallabat (or Metemma). Yohannes IV was originally successful, with the Mahdists suffering many casualties, but a shot from a lone sniper killed the Emperor late in the battle, causing his army to flee and routing the attack.
In 1899 the Mahdists were decisively defeated in the Sudan byBritish andEgyptian forces during theBattle of Umm Diwaykarat. After the even more decisiveBattle of Omdurman, Mahdist rule in the Sudan was at an end. From 1899 to 1956, Gallabat was located in what was known as theAnglo-Egyptian Sudan.
In July 1940 during theEast African Campaign,Italian forces advancing fromItalian East Africa forced a small British garrison commanded byWilfred Thesiger towithdraw from Gallabat to the pass atKhor el Otrub. The Italians then occupied the town until November when the British underBrigadier Slim launched an attack to take the town back, but due to poor morale of theEssex Regiment and lack of coordination by the British bombers, failed to captureMetemma.[4]
In 1991British television presenterMichael Palin travelled through Gallabat on his way toGonder for the television showPole to Pole.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Gallabat".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 11 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 412.