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The current capital of Egypt isCairo. Over the course of its history, Egypt has had many capitals. Its earliest capital was Tjenu, better known asThinis, which may have been the capital of the hypotheticalThinite Confederacy prior to Egypt's unification. During theFirst,Second andThird 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 isCairo, 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 theBritish protectorate of Egypt and theRepublic 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 theOld Kingdom period.Thebes was used as the capital for approximately 485 years, mostly during theMiddle andNew Kingdoms.
| Common Name | Name variations | Founder | Time Period | Ruling Dynasties | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naqada | Ancient Egyptian:Nbyt Ancient Greek: ΠαμπανιςPampanis Coptic: ⲛⲉⲕⲁⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛNekatērion Egyptian Arabic: نقادةNaqāda | c. 3200–3150 BCE | Naqada III | ||
| Thinis | Ancient Egyptian:Tjenu Ancient Greek: ΘίνιςThinis, ΘίςThis Coptic: Ⲧⲓⲛ Egyptian Arabic: طين | c. 3150–2686 BCE | First Dynasty Second Dynasty | [2] | |
| Memphis | Ancient Egyptian(First Intermediate Period):Djed-Sut Ancient Egyptian(Middle Kingdom):Ankh-Tawy Ancient Egyptian(New Kingdom: mn-nfr,Men-nefer Ancient Greek: Μέμφις,Memphis Coptic: ⲙⲉⲙϥⲓ,Memfi Egyptian Arabic: مَنْفManf | Menes (Traditional) | c. 2686–2160 BCE c. 720–664 BCE 525–404 BCE 343–332 BCE | Third Dynasty Fourth Dynasty Fifth Dynasty Sixth Dynasty Seventh Dynasty Eighth Dynasty Twenty-fifth Dynasty (Kush Empire) Twenty-seventh Dynasty (Achaemenid Empire) Thirty-first Dynasty (Achaemenid Empire) | [3] |
| Heracleopolis Magna | Ancient Egyptian: nn nswt,Henen-Nesut Ancient Greek: Μεγάλη Ἡρακλέους πόλις,Megálē Herakléous pólis Coptic: Ϩⲛⲏⲥ,Hnes Egyptian Arabic: اهناس,Ahnas | c. 2160–2040 BCE | Ninth Dynasty Tenth Dynasty | [4] | |
| Thebes | Ancient Egyptian: wꜣs.t,Waset Ancient Greek: Θῆβαι,Thēbai Egyptian Arabic: طيبة,Tyba | c. 2130–1991 BCE c. 1650–1346 BCE c. 1332–1279 BCE 664–656 BCE | Eleventh Dynasty Sixteenth Dynasty Seventeenth Dynasty Eighteenth Dynasty Nineteenth Dynasty Twenty-fifth Dynasty (Kush Empire)[5] | ||
| Itjtawy | Ancient Egyptian:Itjtawy orAmenemhat-itjtawy | Amenemhat I | c. 1991–1650 BCE | Twelfth Dynasty Thirteenth Dynasty | [6] |
| Avaris | Ancient Egyptian: ḥw.t wꜥr.t,hut-waret Ancient Greek: Αὔαρις,Auaris Egyptian Arabic: اڤاريس,Avaris | Amenemhat I[7] | c. 1725–1550 BCE | Fourteenth Dynasty Fifteenth Dynasty (Hyksos) | |
| Amarna | Ancient Egyptian:Akhetaten Egyptian Arabic: العمارنة,al-ʿAmārna | Akhenaten | c. 1346–1332 BCE | Eighteenth Dynasty (Amarna Period) | [8] |
| Pi-Ramesses | Ancient Egyptian: pr-rꜥ-ms-sw,Pi-Ramesses | Ramesses II | c. 1279–1077 BCE | Nineteenth Dynasty Twentieth Dynasty | |
| Tanis | Ancient Egyptian: ḏꜥn.t Ancient Greek: Τάνις,Tanis Coptic: ϫⲁⲛⲓ Egyptian Arabic: صان الحجر,Ṣān al-Ḥaǧar | c. 1077–943 BCE | Twenty-first Dynasty | [9] | |
| Bubastis | Ancient Egyptian: Pr-Bȝst.t,Per-Bast Ancient Greek: Βούβαστις,Boubastis Coptic: Ⲡⲟⲩⲃⲁⲥϯ,Poubasti Egyptian Arabic:Tell-Basta | c. 943–720 BCE | Twenty-second Dynasty | ||
| Leontopolis | Ancient Egyptian:Taremu Ancient Greek: Λεόντων πόλις,Leontopolis Egyptian Arabic:Tell el-Muqdam | c. 837–720 BCE | Twenty-third Dynasty | ||
| Sais | Ancient Egyptian: Sꜣw Ancient Greek: Σάϊς Coptic: Ⲥⲁⲓ Egyptian Arabic: صا الحجر,Sa el-Hagar | c. 732–720 BCE 664–525 BCE 404–398 BCE | Twenty-fourth Dynasty Twenty-sixth Dynasty Twenty-eighth Dynasty | [10] | |
| Mendes | Ancient Egyptian: Djedet Ancient Greek: Μένδης Egyptian Arabic: تل الربع,Tell el-Ruba | 398–380 BCE | Twenty-ninth Dynasty | ||
| Samannud | Ancient Egyptian: ṯb-(n)-nṯr Ancient Greek: Σεβέννυτος,Sebennytos Coptic: ϫⲉⲙⲛⲟⲩϯ Egyptian Arabic: سمنود,Samannūd | 380–343 BCE | Thirtieth Dynasty | [11] | |
| Alexandria | Ancient Greek: Ἀλεξάνδρεια,Alexandreia Egyptian Arabic: الإسكندرية,Aleksandaria | Alexander III of Macedon | 332 BCE–641 CE | Macedonian Egypt Ptolemaic Egypt Roman Egypt Palmyrene Empire Byzantine Empire Sasanian Empire | |
| Fustat | Egyptian Arabic: الفُسطاط,al-Fusṭāṭ | Amr ibn al-As | 641–750 905–972 | Rashidun Caliphate Umayyad Caliphate Abbasid Caliphate Ikhshidid Dynasty Fatimid Caliphate | |
| Al-Askar | Egyptian Arabic: العسكر,al-‘Askar | al-Saffah | 750–868 | Abbasid Caliphate | |
| Al-Qata'i | Egyptian Arabic: القَطائِع,al-Qaṭāʾi | Ahmad ibn Tulun | 868–905 | Tulunid Dynasty | |
| Cairo | Egyptian Arabic: القاهرة,al-Qāhirah Coptic: Ϯⲕⲉϣⲣⲱⲙⲓ,Tikešrōmi | al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah | 972–present | Fatimid Caliphate Ayyubid Egypt Mamluk Egypt Egypt Eyalet Khedivate of Egypt (from 1882) Sultanate of Egypt Kingdom of Egypt Republic of Egypt United Arab Republic Arab Republic of Egypt |
