Khartoum, Sudan

Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, sits at the confluence of the Blue and White Niles, its low-rise skyline punctuated by domed mosques and the futuristic Corinthia Hotel. The city’s 7.9 million residents pulse through bustling souqs, riverfront cafés, and the National Museum’s trove of Nubian temples, while dervishes still whirl weekly at the tomb of 19th-century leader Hamed al-Nil.