Ikhlas Abdllatief Ahmed

Biography

Ikhlas is the Deputy Director of the Museums Sector in the National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums where she has worked since 1992. Her main responsibilities are the display and curation of the Egyptology section, directing three committees, storage, documentation and archives and permanent and temporary displays and researching the collections.

Ikhlas achieved her PhD in Archaeology from the Department of Archaeology, University of Khartoum in 2010. The title of her dissertation was The Kushite Religion from 780 to 568 BC through the collections in the Sudan National Museum. She has an MA in Archaeology from the University of Khartoum, 2005 and a BA in Egyptology, Cairo University, Department of Egyptology, 1987. She also achieved a High Fellowship of Management from October 2011.

In addition to her museum work, Ikhlas works on fieldwork projects. Since 2007 she has been working on a survey in northern Sudan at Tombus, (Director, Vivian Davies, British Museum), for the revision of Hieroglyphic texts. Previously she worked on an excavation at Kadero with the Polish mission, (Director, Professor Lech Krzyaniak), 1993 – 1997. Her more recent research projects include:

• The environment and its impact on ancient symbolism
• The roots of civilisation in North-East Africa with Dr S-A Ashton, University of Cambridge.
• Recording the archives and developing a special exhibition for the anniversary of the first archaeologist, who worked in Sudan at the beginning of the 20th century.
• Ancient South African Civilization and Kush Civilization in Ancient Sudan.

Ikhlas has published a catalogue of Bronze Age artefacts in the Sudan National Museum, Khartoum (2006) and has attended conferences, workshops and studied abroad in the Czech Republic, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Switzerland and the UK.

Since 2008 Ikhlas has been working as a field inspector for the British Museum on an epigraphic project directed by Vivian Davis, former Keeper of the Department of Egypt and Sudan.

At the British Museum
During her time on the International Training Programme in 2006, Ikhlas was based in the Department of Egypt and Sudan. Her partner placement was spilt between the Bowes Museum in County Durham and Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums.

Legacy Projects
In May 2017 Ikhlas returned to the British Museum to attend the ITP+ Course: Temporary Exhibitions & Permanent Displays with fellows from China, India, Iran, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey, and different ITP years.

Continued Dialogue
Ikhlas returned to the Museum again in 2018 to work on the Department of Egypt and Sudan’s Circulating Artefacts project. The project aims to build an online database of Egyptian and Nubian antiquities that are in circulation on the international art market and in private collections and is supported by the British Council in partnership with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. Upon returning to Sudan, Ikhlas established a unit in Sudan dealing with the same project.

ITP Newsletter Publications
ITP Newsletter Issue 3 (2016), Reasons for celebration: Celebrating International Museum Day at Sudan National Museum
ITP Newsletter Issue 8 (2021) The National Corporation for Antiquities & Museums (Khartoum) and the Circulating Artefacts project