BERAT, a town of southern Albania on the Semen (or Osum) river, which is unfordable and crossed by a bridge and seven ferries. The river often overflows its banks, leaving stagnant pools which breed fever-bearing mosquitoes. Pop. (193o) 10,403, of whom nearly seven-eighths are Mohammedans, and the re mainder Orthodox, with an Orthodox bishop. The town is on the Valona-Koritsa-Monastir route, and lies in a fertile valley producing maize, tobacco, fruit, vines and olives. The citadel is of no military value and is, moreover, waterless. The surrounding district is very barbarous. In the 13th century it fell under Sicily and then Naples, and was ruled in the i4th and 15th centuries by the Musaki family. Later it became Turkish. In the i8th cen tury Ibrahim of Berat headed the league of Muslims which un successfully revolted against Ali Pasha (1788-18 2 2) . Berat was occupied by the Austrians during the World War and by the Italians in 1918.