This is a list of known ancient Egyptian towns and cities.[1] The list is for sites intended for permanent settlement and does not include fortresses and other locations of intermittent habitation.
| a capital of ancient Egypt |
| a capital of ancient Egypt and regional administrative center |
| Thonis italicized name: only the Greek name is known |
Lower Egypt
| Town (popular name) | In hieroglyphs | Date founded | Nome | Patron deity | Modern name | Other name/s | Note | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men-nefer (Memphis) |
| earlier than 3150 BC | 1st | Ptah (cult center) | Mit Rahina | Ineb-Hedj, Died-Sut, Ankh-Tawy, Menfe, Hut-ka-Ptah, Moph, Noph | Capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom; capital of its nome | |||||||||
| Khem (Letopolis) |
| probably during Old Kingdom | 2nd | Khenty-irty | Ausim | Capital of its nome | ||||||||||
| Yamu (Apis) |
| probably during Old Kingdom | 3rd | Hathor | Kom el-Hisn | Imu, Apis | Capital of its nome | |||||||||
| Raqote (Alexandria) |
| 331 BC | 3rd | Serapis | Alexandria | Rhacotis, Rakotə, Eskendereyyah | Alexandria was the intellectual and cultural center of the ancient world for some time; capital of the Ptolemaic Kingdom | |||||||||
| Khito (Rosetta) | 3rd | Rashid | Bolbitine, Bolbitinum, Bolbitinon, Trashit, Rakhit, Rexi | Where Rosetta Stone was found | ||||||||||||
| Ptkheka (Ptkheka) | 4th | Neith | Tanta | Capital of its nome | ||||||||||||
| Zau (Sais) |
| earlier than 3300 BC | 5th | Neith (cult center) | Sa el-Hagar | Capital of 24th and 26th Dynasties; capital of its nome | ||||||||||
| Per-Wadjet (Buto) |
| earlier than 3250 BC | 5th | Wadjet (cult center) | Tell al-Fara'in | Pe and Dep, Butus, Butosus | Where Predynastic Buto-culture was found | |||||||||
| Khasut (Xois) |
| 6th | Amun | Sakha | Xeos, Skhoo | Capital of its nome | ||||||||||
| Timinhor (Damanhur) |
| later than 1200 BC | 7th | Damanhur | Hermopolis Mikra, Tel Ballamon | Capital of its nome | ||||||||||
| Piemro (Naucratis) |
| 7th century BC | 7th | Thoth | Kom Gieif | Ναύκρατις | First permanent Greek colony; major center for Greek Egyptian sea trade | |||||||||
| Thonis (Heracleion) |
| 12th century BC | 7th | Amun | Ἡράκλειον | Egypt's main port during Late Period; sister city of Naucratis | ||||||||||
| Menouthis (Menouthis) | 7th | Isis and Serapis | Sunk to the sea in 8th century AD; near Heracleion and Canopus | |||||||||||||
| Pikuat (Canopus) |
| Earlier than 600 BC | 7th | Osiris | Aboukir | Canobus, Kanobos, Kanopos, Schedia | Principal port in Egypt for Greek trade before the foundation of Alexandria | |||||||||
| Per-Atum (Pithom) |
| Around 1900 BC | 8th | Atum | Tell-el-Maskhuta | Tjeku, Heroöpolis, Heroonopolis | Capital of its nome | |||||||||
| Djedu (Busiris) |
| A small village until 3200 BC | 9th | Osiris | Abu Sir Bana | Per Usiri | Capital of its nome | |||||||||
| Hut-hery-ib (Athribis) |
| 10th | Repyt | Banha | Tell Atrib, Attrib, Medeenet Ashaysh | Capital of its nome | ||||||||||
| Taremu (Leontopolis) | 11th | Bast and Sekhmet (cult center) | Kafr Al Muqdam | Leonto, Leontos, Tell el-Muqdam | One of the capitals during the 23rd Dynasty; capital of its nome during Ptolemaic Period | |||||||||||
| Šetennu (Pharbaetus) | earlier than 7th century BC | 11th | Hormerty | Horbeit | Shednu, Sheten, Pharbaethus | Capital of its nome; one of the centers of the chiefs of the Meshwesh Libyans | ||||||||||
| Tjebnutjer (Sebennytos) |
| 12th | Onuris | Samanud | Hometown of Manetho; capital of the 30th Dynasty; capital of its nome | |||||||||||
| Pachnamu´nis (Pachnamunis) | 12th | Principal town | ||||||||||||||
| Iunu (Heliopolis) |
| earlier than 3250 BC | 13th | Ra (cult center) | Ayn Shams | Ôn, Āwen, Ὂν | Capital of its nome | |||||||||
| Tjaru (Sile) |
| 14th | Horus | Tel el-Habua | Zaru, Tharu, Djaru, Tjel, Sile, Edfu of Lower Egypt | Largest ancient Egyptian fortress town; place of exile for criminals; capital of its nome | ||||||||||
| Per-Amun (Pelusium) |
| Before 720 BC | 14th | Amun | Tell el-Farama | Sena, Seyân, Sin, Pelousion, Paramoun, Peremoun, Peromi | Easternmost major Egyptian city; Battles of Pelusium | |||||||||
| Weprehwy (Hermopolis Parva) | Before 2575 BC | 15th | Tell al-Naqus | Capital of its nome | ||||||||||||
| Tamiat (Damietta) | 15th | Damietta | Damiata, Domyat, Ταμίαθις, Tamiathis | |||||||||||||
| Djedet (Mendes) |
| earlier than 3250 BC | 16th | Banebdjedet | Tell El-Ruba | Per-Banebdjedet, Anpet | Capital of the 29th Dynasty; capital of its nome | |||||||||
| Semabehdet (Diospolis Inferior) |
| 17th | Tel El Balamun | Capital of its nome | ||||||||||||
| Per-Bast (Bubastis) |
| Earlier than 3150 BC | 18th | Bastet (cult center) | Tell-Basta | Per-Bastet | An ivory tag found in Tomb U-J dating 3150 BC many think has the Per-Bastet signature ; One of the capitals during the 22nd and 23rd Dynasties; capital of its nome | |||||||||
| Djanet (Tanis) |
| late New Kingdom | 19th | Amun | Tell Nebesha | Thebes of the North, Ṣān al-Ḥagar, Zoan | Capital of 21st and 22nd Dynasties; capital of its nome; important port for Asiatic trade; center of linen manufacture. | |||||||||
| Hut-waret (Avaris) |
| during Middle Kingdom | 19th | Set | Tell el-Dab'a | Auaris, Hawara, Athyria | Capital of 14th and 15th Dynasties | |||||||||
| Per-Ramessu (Pi-Ramesses) |
| 1274 BC | 19th | Ramesses II | Qantir | Per-Rameses, Per Ramessu | Founded by Ramesses II; absorbed Avaris; capital of Egypt during Ramesses II's reign | |||||||||
| Per-Sopdu (Per-Sopdu) |
| 20th | Amun | Saft el-Hinna | Soped, Pi-Sopt | Capital of its nome |
Upper Egypt
| Town (popular name) | In hieroglyphs | Date founded | Nome | Patron deity | Modern name | Other name/s | Note | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abu (Elephantine) |
| earlier than 3000 BC | 1st | Khnum (cult center) | Aswan | Yebu | Capital of its nome | ||||||||||
| Swenett (Aswan) |
| 1st | Swenett | Aswan | Syene | Location of stone quarries for Syenite granite | |||||||||||
| Nubt (Kom Ombo) |
| earlier than 3000 BC | 1st | Sobek (cult center) | Kom Ombo | Omboi, Ombos, Ambo, Ombi | Garrison throughout pharaonic history; arch-enemy of the city of Dendera | ||||||||||
| Behdet (Edfu) |
| earlier than 3000 BC | 2nd | Horus (cult center) | Naga el-Goneima | Apollonopolis Magna, Apollinopolis Magna, Djeba, Utes-Hor | Capital of its nome | ||||||||||
| Nekheb (El Kab) |
| earlier than 3500 BC | 3rd | Nekhbet (cult center) | El Kab | Eileithyiaspolis, Lucinae Civitas | Capital of its nome before Nekhen; surrounded by a massive mud brick wall | ||||||||||
| Nekhen (Hierakonpolis) |
| earlier than 3210 BC | 3rd | Horus (cult center) | El Kab | Al-Kom Al-Aħmar | Capital of its nome after Nekheb; opposite Nekheb on the other side of the Nile | ||||||||||
| Ta-senet (Latopolis) |
| earlier than Middle Kingdom | 3rd | Khnum | Esna | Iunyt, Polis Latton, Lato | Capital of its nome after Nekhen | ||||||||||
| Waset (Thebes) |
| earlier than 5000 BC | 4th | Amun (cult center) | Luxor | Niwt-rst, Niwt-Imn, Nōʼ ʼĀmôn, No, Iunu-shema, Diospolis Magna, Ta-pe, Hundred-gated Thebes | Capital of Egypt during most of Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom; capital of its nome; foremost religious center | ||||||||||
| Per-Hathor (Aphroditopolis) |
| earlier than 3000 BC | 4th | Hathor | Gebelein | Inerty, Pathyris, Naga el-Gherira | |||||||||||
| Iuny (Hermonthis) |
| 4th | Montu (cult center) | Armant | Erment, Iunu-Montu | Capital of its nome during Cleopatra VII | |||||||||||
| Sumenu (Crocodilopolis) |
| earlier than Middle Kingdom | 4th | Sobek (cult center) | el-Mahamid Qibly | Imiotru | Different from Shedet (also called Crocodilopolis) | ||||||||||
| Djerty (El-Tod) | during Old Kingdom | 4th | Montu | El-Tod | Ḏrty, Touphion, Tuphium, Thouôt, Tuot | ||||||||||||
| Madu (Medamud) | 4th | Montu | Medamud | ||||||||||||||
| Nubt (Naqada) |
| earlier than 3500 BC | 5th | Set (cult center) | Naqada | Ombos, South Town | Where the Pre-dynastic Naqada culture was found | ||||||||||
| Iushenshen (Iushenshen) |
| earlier than 3000 BC | 5th | Khozam | Capital of its nome during Old Kingdom | ||||||||||||
| Gesy (Qus) |
| 5th | Horus | Qus | Gesa, Apollonopolis Parva, Apollinopolis Mikra, Apollonos minoris | A point of departure for expeditions to the Red Sea | |||||||||||
| Gebtu (Koptos) |
| Earlier than 3200 BC | 5th | Min (cult center) | Qift | Kebto, Keft, Justinianopolis | Capital of its nome; commercial center for the Upper Egyptian Red Sea trade through Wadi Hammamat | ||||||||||
| Iunet (Dendera) |
| 6th | Hathor (cult center) | Dendera | Tentyra, Tentyris, Nikentori, Nitentori | Capital of its nome | |||||||||||
| Seshesh (Hu) |
| earlier than 3100 BC | 7th | Bat, then Hathor | Hu | Diospolis Parva, Diospolis Superior, Hut-Sekhem, Hiw | Capital of its nome | ||||||||||
| Abdju (Abydos) |
| earlier than 3000 BC | 8th | Khentiamentiu, then Osiris (cult center) and Isis | al-Birba | Osiris | Capital of its nome | ||||||||||
| Tjenu (Thinis) |
| earlier than 4000 BC | 8th | Anhur | This | Capital of the 1st and 2nd Dynasties; still unlocated | |||||||||||
| Ipu (Akhmim) |
| earlier than 3100 BC | 9th | Min (cult center) | Akhmim | Apu, Khent-min, Khmin, Shmin, Khemmis, Chemmis, Panopolis | Capital of its nome | ||||||||||
| Hut-Repyt (Athribis) |
| 9th | Repyt | Wannina | Triphieion, Tripheion | Distinct from Hut-hery-ib (Athribis) | |||||||||||
| Tjebu (Qau) |
| 10th | Nemty (cult center) | Qaw el-Kebir | Djew-Qa, Antaeopolis | Capital of its nome | |||||||||||
| Shashotep (Hypselis) |
| 11th | Khnum | Shutb | Apotheke | Capital of its nome | |||||||||||
| Per-Nemty (Hieracon) | 12th | Nemty | al Atawla | Hierakon | Capital of its nome | ||||||||||||
| Zawty (Asyut) |
| 13th | Anubis (cult center), Wepwawet (cult center) | Asyut | Sauty, Syut, Syowt, Lycopolis, Lycon, Lyco | Capital of its nome | |||||||||||
| Qis (Cusae) |
| 14th | Hathor | el-Qusiya | Kis, Kusai | Capital of its nome | |||||||||||
| Akhetaten (Amarna) |
| around 1346 BC | 14th | Aten (cult center) | Tell el-Amarna | Capital of Egypt during Akhenaten's reign | |||||||||||
| Khemenu (Hermopolis Magna) |
| 15th | Thoth (cult center), Ogdoad | El Ashmunein | Hermopolis Megale, Hermupolis | Capital of its nome | |||||||||||
| Herwer (Herwer) |
| 16th | Khnum and Heqet | Hur | Capital of its nome | ||||||||||||
| Hebenu (Hebenu) |
| 16th | Kom el Ahmar | Capital of its nome before Herwer | |||||||||||||
| Per-Imen-mat-khent(j) (Akoris) | earlier than Old Kingdom | 16th | Tihna el-Gebel | Mer-nefer(et), Dehenet | |||||||||||||
| Saka (Cynopolis) |
| 17th | Anubis (cult center) | El Kays | Hardai, Cynopolis Superior | Capital of its nome | |||||||||||
| Tayu-djayet (El Hiba) |
| 18th | El Hiba | Teudjoi, Ankyronpolis | Capital of its nome | ||||||||||||
| Per-Medjed (Oxyrhynchus) |
| 19th | el-Bahnasa | Pemdje, Oxyrrhynkhoupolis | Capital of its nome | ||||||||||||
| Henen-nesut (Herakleopolis Magna) |
| earlier than 3000 BC | 20th | Heryshaf (cult center) | Ihnasiyyah al-Madinah | Nenj-neswt, Ehnasya, Hnas, Ahnas | Capital of the 9th and 10th Dynasties; capital of its nome | ||||||||||
| Itjtawy (Itjtawy) | ~1920 BC | 20th or 21st | Amenemhat-itj-tawyolis | Capital of the 12th and 13th Dynasties; still unlocated | |||||||||||||
| Shedet (Crocodilopolis) |
| 21st | Sobek (cult center) | Faiyum | Arsinoë, Fayoum, She-resy | Capital of its nome | |||||||||||
| Ta may Sobek neb Pay pa necer aa (Soknopaiou Nesos) | 21st | Sobek (as Soknopaios) | Dimeh es-Seba (Arabic: ديمة السباع) | tȝ mȝy Sbk nb Pay pȝ nṯr ʿȝ | |||||||||||||
| Tepihu (Aphroditopolis) |
| 22nd | Hathor (cult center during Greek period) | Atfih | Petpeh | Capital of its nome |
Nubia
| Town (popular name) | In hieroglyphs | Date founded | Nome | Patron deity | Modern name | Other name/s | Note | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chenem-Waset (Amara West) | During Seti I's reign | none | Amara, Nubia | Per-Menmaatre, Per-Rameses-meri-Amun | Official residence of the representative of Kush | |||||||
| Iken (Mirgissa) |
| earlier than 4500 BC | none | Hathor | Fortress town; now submerged in Lake Nasser | |||||||
| Buhen (Buhen) |
| earlier than 3000 BC | none | Buhen | Largest fortress town in Nubia; housed a copper factory |
Red Sea Coast
| Town (popular name) | In hieroglyphs | Date founded | Nome | Patron deity | Modern name | Other name/s | Note | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berenice (Berenice) |
| 275 BC | none | Medinet-el Haras | Berenike, Berenice Troglodytica, Baranis | Founded by Ptolemy II; named after his mother, Berenice I of Egypt | |||||||
| Tao (Leucus Limen)[2] | earlier than New Kingdom | none | El Qoseir | Leucus Limen, Kosseir, Al Qusair, El Quseir, Qusseir, Qosseir | Important trading port during pharaonic times, where goods from Red Sea and beyond entered Egypt |
See also
References
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