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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 he 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, hing 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.
ThinisMemphisHeracleopolis MagnaThebesItjtawyAvarisAmarnaPi-RamessesTanisBubastisLeontopolisSaisMendesSamannudAlexandriaFustatCairoclass=notpageimage| Locations of the historical capitals (Al-Askar and Al-Qata'i are located within the administrative borders of modern Cairo,[1] 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[edit] Name Time Period Ruling Dynasties Ref. Naqada c. 3200-3150 BCE Naqada III Tjenu (Thinis) c. 3150–2686 BCE First DynastySecond Dynasty [2] Men-nefer (Memphis) c. 2686–2160 BCEc. 720–664 BCE525–404 BCE343–332 BCE Third DynastyFourth DynastyFifth DynastySixth DynastySeventh DynastyEighth DynastyTwenty-fifth Dynasty (Kush Empire)Twenty-seventh Dynasty (Achaemenid Empire)Thirty-first Dynasty (Achaemenid Empire) [3] Henen-Nesut (Heracleopolis Magna) c. 2160–2040 BCE Ninth DynastyTenth Dynasty [4] Waset (Thebes) c. 2130–1991 BCEc. 1650–1346 BCEc. 1332–1279 BCE664–656 BCE Eleventh DynastySixteenth DynastySeventeenth DynastyEighteenth DynastyNineteenth DynastyTwenty-fifth Dynasty (Kush Empire)[5] Itjtawy c. 1991–1650 BCE Twelfth DynastyThirteenth Dynasty [6] Avaris c. 1725–1550 BCE Fourteenth DynastyFifteenth Dynasty (Hyksos) Akhetaten (Amarna) c. 1346–1332 BCE Eighteenth Dynasty (Amarna Period) [7] Pi-Ramesses c. 1279–1077 BCE Nineteenth DynastyTwentieth Dynasty Tanis c. 1077–943 BCE Twenty-first Dynasty [8] Per-Bast (Bubastis) c. 943–720 BCE Twenty-second Dynasty Leontopolis c. 837–720 BCE Twenty-third Dynasty Sais c. 732–720 BCE664–525 BCE404–398 BCE Twenty-fourth DynastyTwenty-sixth DynastyTwenty-eighth Dynasty [9] Djedet (Mendes) 398–380 BCE Twenty-ninth Dynasty Sebennytos (Samannud) 380–343 BCE Thirtieth Dynasty [10] Alexandria 332 BCE–641 CE Macedonian Egypt Ptolemaic dynastyRoman EmpirePalmyrene EmpireByzantine EmpireSasanian Empire Fustat 641–750905–972 Rashidun CaliphateUmayyad CaliphateAbbasid CaliphateIkhshidid DynastyFatimid Caliphate Al-Askar 750–868 Abbasid Caliphate Al-Qata'i 868–905 Tulunid Dynasty Cairo 972–present Fatimid CaliphateAyyubid DynastyMamluk SultanateOttoman EgyptKhedivate of Egypt (British protectorate from 1882)Sultanate of Egypt (British protectorate)Kingdom of Egypt (British protectorate)Republic of EgyptUnited Arab RepublicArab Republic of Egypt See also[edit] List of cities and towns in Egypt New Administrative Capital Chronology of ancient Egypt References[edit] ^ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/357327557/figure/fig2/AS:1104949140295680@1640451812244/Borders-of-the-previous-four-capitals-of-Islamic-Egypt-Source-edited-by-authors-based.png [bare URL image file] ^ Wilkinson, Toby A.H. (2000). Early Dynastic Egypt. Abingdon: Routledge. p. 67. ISBN 0-415-26011-6. ^ Shaw, Ian (2003). The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. Oxford University Press, p.279 ^ An Introduction to the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt, 2008. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. 2008. ^ Török, László (1998). The Kingdom of Kush: Handbook of the Napatan-Meroitic Civilization. Leiden: BRILL. p. 185. ISBN 90-04-10448-8. ^ Arnold, Dorothea (1991). "Amenemhat I and the Early Twelfth Dynasty at Thebes". Metropolitan Museum Journal. 26. The Metropolitan Museum of Art: 5–48. doi:10.2307/1512902. JSTOR 1512902. S2CID 191398579. ^ "The Official Website of the Amarna Project". Archived from the original on 8 October 2008. Retrieved 1 October 2008. ^ Snape, Steven (2014). The Complete Cities of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson. p. 335. ISBN 978-0-500-77240-9. ^ Ian Shaw & Paul Nicholson, The Dictionary of Ancient Egypt, British Museum Press, 1995. p.250 ^ Gray, Leon (2010). The New Cultural Atlas of Egypt. Marshall Cendish. p. 143. ISBN 9780761478775. vteEgypt topicsHistoryChronology Prehistoric Ancient topics Achaemenid 27th Dynasty 31st Dynasty Ptolemaic Battle of Actium Lighthouse of Alexandria Roman Diocese of Egypt Library of Alexandria Christian Sassanid Muslim Rashidun Caliphate Fustat Islamization Tulunid dynasty Ikhshidid dynasty Fatimid Caliphate Crusader invasions Ayyubid dynasty Mamluk Sultanate Mamluk Ottoman Ottoman Egypt Khedivate and Kingdom of Egypt Muhammad Ali dynasty Nahda Khedivate Egyptian–Ethiopian War Urabi revolt Modern French occupation Revolt of Cairo British occupation 1919 revolution Sultanate World War II Kingdom 1948 Arab–Israeli War Republic Nasser era 1952 Egyptian revolution Land reform Suez Crisis United Arab Republic Six-Day War Sadat era Yom Kippur War Egyptian–Libyan War Assassination of Anwar Sadat Mubarak era 2010s Crisis 2011 Egyptian revolution 2013 Rabaa massacre By topic Anarchism Capital Cigarette industry Constitution Copts Genetic Healthcare Jews Muslim Brotherhood 1928–1938 1939–1954 1954–present Parliament Population Postal Saladin Timekeeping devicesBy city Alexandria Cairo Port Said Geography Biota Borders Cities Climate Deserts Earthquakes Environmental issues Fossils Geology Halfaya Pass Islands Lakes Mountains Mount Sinai Nile Delta Northern coast Oases Qattara Depression Red Sea Riviera Rivers Nile Sinai Peninsula Suez Canal Towns and villages Wadis Wildlife Politics Administrative divisions Governorates Civil Code Corruption Conscription Constitution Elections Foreign relations Missions Islamic extremism Judiciary Law enforcement Massacres Military Supreme Council Nationality law Parliament Passport Political parties President list Prime Minister list Proposed new capital Refugees of the Syrian civil war Terrorism Terrorism and tourism Twin towns and sister cities Economy Agriculture Banking National Bank Companies Economic regions Egyptian stock exchange Egyptian pound Energy Entrepreneurship policies Fishing Impact on the environment Lighthouses Military industry Mining Mines Nuclear program Power stations Aswan Dam Role of the Egyptian Armed Forces Tallest buildings Telecommunications Internet Tourism Cultural tourism Transport Airlines Airports Railway stations Water supply and sanitation Water resources management SocietyGeneral Abortion Animal welfare Billionaires Cannabis Capital punishment Censuses Corruption Crime Human trafficking Mass sexual assault Rape Demographics Diaspora Education Academic grading Law schools Medical schools Schools Universities Families Abaza family Feminism Gender inequality Health Healthcare Hospitals Housing Human rights Freedom of religion LGBT rights International rankings Languages Egyptian Arabic Saʽidi Arabic Sign Language Liberalism Literature Prostitution Religion Baháʼí Blasphemy law Christianity Catholic dioceses Coptic Churches Hinduism Identification card controversy Irreligion Islam Ahmadiyya Mosques Niqāb Judaism Synagogues Scientology Smoking Units of measurement Vehicle registration plates Waste management Women Culture Architecture Art (ancient) Art (contemporary) Botanical gardens Castles Cinema Coat of arms Cuisine Beer Wine Films Flag list regions Football Football clubs Football stadiums Egyptians Mass media Magazines Newspapers Radio TV Museums Music National anthem Olympics Public holidays World Heritage Sites Category Portal WikiProject Commons