Sennar

Sennar stands on the Blue Nile at the southern end of the Gezira, the fertile land between the two Niles. For more than three centuries it was the capital of the Funj sultanate, a centre of government and commerce linking the Nile valley with Ethiopia, the Red Sea and lands to the west. Its markets drew goods from distant regions, including gold, ivory and enslaved people.

Around 1504 the Funj ruler Amara Dunqas established a kingdom at Sennar after the decline of the Christian kingdom of Alwa. The sultanate extended north along the Nile, incorporating the Abdallab rulers as powerful subordinates. Islamic scholars and Sufi teachers gained influence as the kingdom developed. Its authority later weakened through internal struggles, and in 1821 Egyptian forces entered Sennar, ending the Funj dynasty's rule.