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.

Thinis

Memphis

Heracleopolis Magna

Thebes

Itjtawy

Avaris

Amarna

Pi-Ramesses

Tanis

Bubastis

Leontopolis

Sais

Mendes

Samannud

Alexandria

Fustat

Cairo

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Locations of the historical capitals (Al-Askar and Al-Qata'i are located within the administrative borders of modern Cairo, which can be confirmed especially by Google Maps by typing the Arabic name of Al-Qata'i; Fustat, with a tiny text on this map, is located south of Cairo)

List of Egyptian capitals

Common Name	Name variations	Founder	Time Period	Ruling Dynasties	Ref.
Naqada	Ancient Egyptian: Nbyt Ancient Greek: Παμπανις Pampanis Coptic: ⲛⲉⲕⲁⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ Nekatērion Egyptian Arabic: نقادة‎ Naqāda		c. 3200–3150 BCE	Naqada III
Thinis	Ancient Egyptian: Tjenu Ancient Greek: Θίνις Thinis, Θίς This Coptic: Ⲧⲓⲛ Egyptian Arabic: طين		c. 3150–2686 BCE	First Dynasty Second Dynasty
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: مَنْف Manf	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)
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
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)
Itjtawy	Ancient Egyptian: Itjtawy or Amenemhat-itjtawy	Amenemhat I	c. 1991–1650 BCE	Twelfth Dynasty Thirteenth Dynasty
Avaris	Ancient Egyptian: ḥw.t wꜥr.t, hut-waret Ancient Greek: Αὔαρις, Auaris Egyptian Arabic: اڤاريس, Avaris	Amenemhat I	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)
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
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
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
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

See also

• List of cities and towns in Egypt
• New Administrative Capital
• Chronology of ancient Egypt