List of historical capitals of Egypt

The current capital of Egypt is Cairo. Over the course of its history, Egypt has had many capitals. Its earliest capital was Tjenu, better known as Thinis, which may have been the capital of the hypothetical Thinite Confederacy prior to Egypt's unification. During the First, Second and Third Intermediate Periods, Egypt had multiple capitals held by rival dynasties.

Thinis was Egypt's first capital following its unification in c. 3100 BCE. The country's current capital is Cairo, and this has been the case since 972. This makes Cairo Egypt's longest-running capital city, having retained this status for over 1,050 years under the rule of six dynasties followed by the British protectorate of Egypt and the Republic of Egypt.

Alexandria was the second longest-lasting capital of Egypt, being used for the entirety of the Greco-Roman period, which lasted for 973 years. Memphis was the capital of Egypt for over 700 years and was the seat of the power for the whole of the Old Kingdom period. Thebes was used as the capital for approximately 485 years, mostly during the Middle and New Kingdoms.

List of Egyptian capitals +Common NameName variationsFounderTime PeriodRuling DynastiesRef.NaqadaAncient Egyptian: NbytAncient Greek: Παμπανις PampanisCoptic: ⲛⲉⲕⲁⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ NekatērionEgyptian Arabic: نقادة‎ Naqādac. 3200–3150 BCENaqada IIIThinisAncient Egyptian: TjenuAncient Greek: Θίνις Thinis, Θίς ThisCoptic: ⲦⲓⲛEgyptian Arabic: طينc. 3150–2686 BCEFirst DynastySecond DynastyMemphisAncient Egyptian (First Intermediate Period): Djed-SutAncient Egyptian (Middle Kingdom): Ankh-TawyAncient Egyptian (New Kingdom): mn-nfr, Men-neferAncient Greek: Μέμφις, MemphisCoptic: ⲙⲉⲙϥⲓ, MemfiEgyptian Arabic: مَنْف ManfMenes (Traditional)c. 2686–2160 BCEc. 720–664 BCE525–404 BCE343–332 BCEThird DynastyFourth DynastyFifth DynastySixth DynastySeventh DynastyEighth DynastyTwenty-fifth Dynasty (Kush Empire)Twenty-seventh Dynasty (Achaemenid Empire)Thirty-first Dynasty (Achaemenid Empire)Shaw, Ian (2003). The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. Oxford University Press, p.279Heracleopolis MagnaAncient Egyptian: nn nswt, Henen-NesutAncient Greek: Μεγάλη Ἡρακλέους πόλις, Megálē Herakléous pólisCoptic: Ϩⲛⲏⲥ, HnesEgyptian Arabic: اهناس, Ahnasc. 2160–2040 BCENinth DynastyTenth DynastyThebesAncient Egyptian: wꜣs.t, WasetAncient Greek: Θῆβαι, ThēbaiEgyptian Arabic: طيبة, Tybac. 2130–1991 BCEc. 1650–1346 BCEc. 1332–1279 BCE664–656 BCEEleventh DynastySixteenth DynastySeventeenth DynastyEighteenth DynastyNineteenth DynastyTwenty-fifth Dynasty (Kush Empire)ItjtawyAncient Egyptian: Itjtawy or Amenemhat-itjtawyAmenemhat Ic. 1991–1650 BCETwelfth DynastyThirteenth DynastyAvarisAncient Egyptian: ḥw.t wꜥr.t, hut-waretAncient Greek: Αὔαρις, AuarisEgyptian Arabic: اڤاريس, AvarisAmenemhat IAaron A. Burke, "Amorites in the Eastern Nile Delta: The Identity of Asiatics at Avaris during the Early Middle Kingdom", 2019, p. 69-71c. 1725–1550 BCEFourteenth DynastyFifteenth Dynasty (Hyksos)AmarnaAncient Egyptian: AkhetatenEgyptian Arabic: العمارنة, al-ʿAmārnaAkhenatenc. 1346–1332 BCEEighteenth Dynasty (Amarna Period)Pi-RamessesAncient Egyptian: pr-rꜥ-ms-sw, Pi-RamessesRamesses IIc. 1279–1077 BCENineteenth DynastyTwentieth DynastyTanisAncient Egyptian: ḏꜥn.tAncient Greek: Τάνις, TanisCoptic: ϫⲁⲛⲓEgyptian Arabic: صان الحجر, Ṣān al-Ḥaǧarc. 1077–943 BCETwenty-first DynastyBubastisAncient Egyptian: Pr-Bȝst.t, Per-BastAncient Greek: Βούβαστις, BoubastisCoptic: Ⲡⲟⲩⲃⲁⲥϯ, PoubastiEgyptian Arabic: Tell-Bastac. 943–720 BCETwenty-second DynastyLeontopolisAncient Egyptian: TaremuAncient Greek: Λεόντων πόλις, LeontopolisEgyptian Arabic: Tell el-Muqdamc. 837–720 BCETwenty-third DynastySaisAncient Egyptian: SꜣwAncient Greek: ΣάϊςCoptic: ⲤⲁⲓEgyptian Arabic: صا الحجر, Sa el-Hagarc. 732–720 BCE664–525 BCE404–398 BCETwenty-fourth DynastyTwenty-sixth DynastyTwenty-eighth DynastyIan Shaw & Paul Nicholson, The Dictionary of Ancient Egypt, British Museum Press, 1995. p.250MendesAncient Egyptian: DjedetAncient Greek: ΜένδηςEgyptian Arabic: تل الربع, Tell el-Ruba398–380 BCETwenty-ninth DynastySamannudAncient Egyptian: ṯb-(n)-nṯrAncient Greek: Σεβέννυτος, SebennytosCoptic: ϫⲉⲙⲛⲟⲩϯEgyptian Arabic: سمنود, Samannūd380–343 BCEThirtieth DynastyAlexandriaAncient Greek: Ἀλεξάνδρεια, AlexandreiaEgyptian Arabic: الإسكندرية, AleksandariaAlexander III of Macedon332 BCE–641 CEMacedonian Egypt Ptolemaic EgyptRoman EgyptPalmyrene EmpireByzantine EmpireSasanian EmpireFustatEgyptian Arabic: الفُسطاط, al-FusṭāṭAmr ibn al-As641–750905–972Rashidun CaliphateUmayyad CaliphateAbbasid CaliphateIkhshidid DynastyFatimid CaliphateAl-AskarEgyptian Arabic: العسكر, al-‘Askaral-Saffah750–868Abbasid CaliphateAl-Qata'iEgyptian Arabic: القَطائِع, al-QaṭāʾiAhmad ibn Tulun868–905Tulunid DynastyCairoEgyptian Arabic: القاهرة, al-QāhirahCoptic: Ϯⲕⲉϣⲣⲱⲙⲓ, Tikešrōmial-Mu'izz li-Din Allah972–presentFatimid CaliphateAyyubid EgyptMamluk EgyptEgypt EyaletKhedivate of Egypt (from 1882)Sultanate of Egypt Kingdom of Egypt Republic of EgyptUnited Arab RepublicArab Republic of Egypt

See also List of cities and towns in Egypt The New Capital Chronology of ancient Egypt

References