Town (Popular name) |
In hieroglyphs |
Date founded |
Nome |
Patron deity |
Modern name |
Other name/s |
Note |
Men-nefer (Memphis) |
|
earlier than 3000 BC |
1st |
Ptah (cult center) |
Mit Rahina |
Aneb-Hetch, Djed-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 |
|
Kom el-Hisn |
|
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 |
|
|
4th |
Neith |
Tanta |
|
Capital of its nome |
Zau (Sais) |
|
earlier than 3000 BC |
5th |
Neith (cult center) |
Sa el-Hagar |
|
Capital of 24th and 26th Dynasties; capital of its nome |
Per-Wadjet (Buto) |
|
earlier than 3000 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 cenury 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 (Greek name) |
|
|
7th |
Isis and Serapis |
|
|
Sunk to the sea in 8th century AD; near Heracleion and Canopus |
Pikuat (Canopus) |
|
|
7th |
Osiris |
Aboukir |
Canobus, Kanobos, Kanopos, Schedia |
Principal port in Egypt for Greek trade before the foundation of Alexandria |
Per-Atum (Pithom) |
|
|
8th |
Atum |
Tell-el-Maskhuta |
Tjeku, Heroöpolis, Heroonopolis |
Capital of its nome |
Djedu (Busiris) |
|
|
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 |
Iunu (Heliopolis) |
|
earlier than 3000 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) |
|
|
14th |
Amun |
Tell el-Farama |
Sena, Seyân, Sin, Pelousion, Paramoun, Peremoun, Peromi |
Easternmost major Egyptian city; Battles of Pelusium |
Weprehwy (Hermopolis Parva) |
|
|
15th |
|
Tell al-Naqus |
|
Capital of its nome |
Tamiat (Damietta) |
|
|
15th |
|
Damietta |
Damiata, Domyat, Ταμίαθις, Tamiathis |
|
Djedet (Mendes) |
|
earlier than 3000 BC |
16th |
Banebdjedet |
Tell El-Ruba |
Per-Banebdjedet, Anpet |
Capital of the 29th Dynasty; capital of its nome |
Semabehdet (Diospolis Inferior) |
|
|
17th |
|
Tell el-Balamun |
|
Capital of its nome |
Per-Bast (Bubastis) |
|
|
18th |
Bastet (cult center) |
Tell-Basta |
Per-Bastet |
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 |
Pi-Ramesses |
|
1274 BC |
19th |
|
Qantir |
Per-Rameses, Per Ramessu |
Founded by Ramesses II; absorbed Avaris; capital of Egypt during Ramesses II's reign |
Per-Sopdu |
|
|
20th |
Amun |
Saft el-Henna |
Soped |
Capital of its nome |
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 3000 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 3000 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 |
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 |
|
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) |
|
|
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) |
|
|
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) |
|
|
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 |
|
|
11th |
Khnum |
Shutb |
Apotheke |
Capital of its nome |
Per-Nemty |
|
|
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 |
Khmun (Hermopolis Magna) |
|
|
15th |
Thoth (cult center), Ogdoad |
El Ashmunein |
Hermopolis Megale, Hermupolis |
Capital of its nome |
Herwer |
|
|
16th |
Khnum and Heqet |
Hur |
|
Capital of its nome |
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 |
Tepihu (Aphroditopolis) |
|
|
22nd |
Hathor (cult center during Greek period) |
Atfih |
Petpeh |
Capital of its nome |