Wikipedia
List of ancient Egyptian towns and cities
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. Use Ctrl + F and enter the town's name or alternative name for convenience.
Map of ancient Egypt with town names in hieroglyphs
Index of four charts of ancient Egyptian Cities
Lower Egypt
Upper Egypt part 1
Upper Egypt and part of Nubia
Nubia
| 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 | Aneb-Hetch, 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 | ||||||||||
| 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
- ^ List of provinces ('nomes') of ancient Egypt. http://www.ucl.ac.uk/. Retrieved on 2016-03-05.
- ^ "A tale of an ancient Red Sea city, Quseir - Walks - Heritage". Ahram Online. Retrieved 2022-10-31.