Place · region

Butana

Also known as Island of Meroë

The Butana is a semi-arid plain in eastern Sudan between the Nile, the Atbara and the Blue Nile, known in antiquity as the Island of Meroë. It was the heartland of the Kushite kingdom of Meroë, with sites such as Naqa and Musawwarat es-Sufra, and later lay within the Christian kingdom of Alodia. It remains important grazing land for pastoral peoples.

Mentioned in 1 state history

Alodia

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Butana. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/butana
MLA
“Butana.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/butana. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Butana.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/butana.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Butana’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/butana (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻