Beretu

Beretu is the ancient Nubian kingdom located in what is now present-day Sudan. It thrived from around the 14th to the 16th century, roughly contemporaneous with the Kingdom of Abyssinia to the southeast. Beretu rose to prominence in the 15th century, during a period of significant growth and urbanization in the region.

Beretu's inhabitants were primarily Nubians, with many of its rulers claiming descent from the earlier Nubian kingdoms of Napata and Meroe. The kingdom's religious practices blended elements of Christianity and pre-existing Nubian rituals, with the rulers often depicted in art as associating themselves with the adopted Christian faith. Conversely, like many other Nubian kingdoms, Beretu maintained use of native Nubian hieroglyphs alongside adaptations of the Ge'ez script used in Ethiopia.

Beretu interacted extensively with its powerful neighbors in the 15th century, engaging in diplomatic and, occasionally, military relations with the Ottoman Empire, the Kingdom of Abyssinia, and various nomadic tribes. It also mediated trade deals and territorial disputes between the Abyssinian Empire and the vying regional powers. Its expansionist territorial aspirations can be inferred from archaeological evidence describing a fortified structure that might be interpreted as an expansionist stronghold along Beretu's border.

The history of Beretu concluded sometime after the period of documented commercial activities and contact with these regional states appears to have tapered off. The decline and eventual collapse of the kingdom likely correlate with environmental and economic pressures caused by the decline of coastal shipping and the loss of favorable trade opportunities.