Sudan Through History: Who Ruled Its Lands
The land of today's Sudan appears on 39 historical border maps from 500 BC to today. Over that time it was held, in whole or in part, by 19 different states, among them Sudan, Meroe, Makkura, Alwa, Egypt.
SudanExplore the history of Sudan in the interactive map
Compare 1000 with today · Sudan as a state on the map
Who ruled the land of Sudan, map by map
Share of sample points inside today's borders held by each state on each map. Areas with no organised state on the map are left out.
Historic cities in Sudan
Famous people of Sudan
| Lived | Person | |
|---|---|---|
| c. AD 320 – AD 360 | Ezana of Aksum | King of Aksum |
Battles and historic sites
| Year | Battle or site |
|---|---|
| 1898 | Battle of Omdurman |
Questions
Which empires and states ruled the territory of Sudan?
On the border maps from 500 BC to today, the largest shares of the territory of modern Sudan belonged to Sudan, Meroe, Makkura, Alwa, Egypt, Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, along with 13 other states.
What was Sudan part of in 1000?
On the border map for 1000, most of the territory of today's Sudan lay within Makkura.
What was Sudan part of in 1500?
On the border map for 1500, most of the territory of today's Sudan lay within Funj.
What was Sudan part of in 1900?
On the border map for 1900, most of the territory of today's Sudan lay within Egypt.
Further reading
Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.