Every Friday, Islamic mystics still gather to affirm their beliefs. A crowd urges them to spin. They enter a state of trance believing in this way that they can span the divide between heaven and earth. These are the legendary ''whirling dervishes''. Like the waters of the Blue and White Nile, people have merged here. In a human kaleidoscope, Arabia meets Africa, and the old ways meet the new. But throughout Khartoum's fluid history, the Nile's yearly flood has remained the one true constant. Beyond Khartoum, both branches of the Nile lead into a wilder Africa. But which branch brings the great flood? This, the larger branch, is the White Nile.


每星期五伊斯兰神秘主义者们仍会聚在一起坚定信仰。人群怂恿他们快速旋转，直到进入一种恍惚状态。他们深信这样便可以转入天堂和人间的交界处。这就是充满传奇色彩的“旋转的托钵僧”。像青、白尼罗河一样，人们也在这里汇聚，形成了人种的万花筒，在这其中阿拉伯文化与非洲文化发生碰撞，旧世界邂逅了新世界。在喀土穆历史的风云变幻中，只有尼罗河每年必到的大洪水是唯一不变的真理。流过喀土穆之后，尼罗河的两大支系分别进入更荒凉的非洲内陆。那么，是哪条支流带来了大洪水呢？ 这条较大的支流是白尼罗河。