Throughout the world there are many cities that were once national capitals but no longer have that status because the country ceased to exist, the capital was moved, or the capital city was renamed. This is a list of such cities, sorted by country and then by date. Where a city name has changed, the name of the city when it was a capital is listed first, followed by its modern name in brackets.
Africa Northern Africa
Old capital city Country Today a part of From Until Change, reason Fustat Abbasid EgyptIkhshidid dynasty Egypt 905 969 Moved to Cairo Marrakesh Almoravid dynastyMorocco 1070 1147 Moved to Fez TinmelAlmohad Caliphate 1121 1147 Moved to Marrakesh and Seville Marrakesh 1147 1269 Moved to Fez Altava Kingdom of Altava Algeria 578 708 Memphis Ancient Egypt Egypt 3150 BC 2160 BC Moved to Henen-Nesut. The Ancient Greeks called the city Memphis, its native name was Inbu-Hedj. Thebes 2134 BC 1292 BC Moved to Pi-Ramesses. The Ancient Greeks called the city Thebes, its native name was Waset. Béjaïa Hafsid Emirate of Béjaïa Algeria 1285 1510 Kalâa of Ait Abbas Kingdom of Beni Abbas 1510 1872 Benghazi Emirate of Cyrenaica Libya 1949 1951 Fez Zawiya Dila'iya, Sharifian Sultanate Morocco 1659 1672 Moved to Meknes Qal'at Bani Hammad Hammadid dynasty Algeria c. 1007 1090 Moved to Béjaïa Béjaïa c. 1090 1152 Walili Idrisid dynasty Morocco 789 808 Moved to Fez Fez 808 927 Moved to Hajar an-Nasar, to try and restore power base Kuku Kingdom of Kuku Algeria c. 1515 1730 Al Bayda Kingdom of Libya Libya 1963 1969 Formation of the Libyan Arab Republic under the rule of Muammar Gaddafi Fez Marinid dynasty Morocco 1244 1465 Moved to Marrakesh Mascara Emirate of Mascara Algeria 1832 1835 Moved to Tagdemt Tagdemt 1835 1847 Altava Kingdom of the Moors and Romans 578 Meknes Morocco (under Ismail Ibn Sharif) Morocco 1672 1727 Moved to Fez Alexandria Ptolemaic Kingdom Egypt 305 BC 30 BC Ptolomaic Egypt was succeeded by the Roman Empire. Fustat Rashidun EgyptUmayyad Egypt 641 750 Moved to Al-Askar Tahert (Tiaret) Rustamid Imamate Algeria 777 909 Tidsi Saadi Sultanate Morocco 1510 1513 Moved to Afughal Afughal 1513 1525 Moved to Marrakesh Marrakesh 1525 1659 Fez 1603 1627 Fez was a rival capital to Marrakesh during this period. Sharifian Sultanate 1727 1912 Moved to Rabat Tlemcen Emirate of Tlemcen Algeria c. 757 790 Zayyanid Kingdom of Tlemcen 1235 1556 ʽAziziya Tripolitanian Republic Libya 1918 1922 Tuggurt Sultanate of Tuggurt Algeria 1414 1871 The sultanate was absorbed into French Algeria. Al-Qata'i Tulunid Emirate Egypt 868 905 Moved to Fustat Al-Askar 750 868 Abbasid dynasty re-asserted control; provincial capital moved to Al-Qata'i Hippo Regius (Annaba) Kingdom of the Vandals and Alans Algeria 435 439 Capital moved to Carthage. Carthage Tunisia 439 534 Vandal Kingdom was absorbed by Byzantine Empire. Fez Wattasid dynasty Morocco 1472 1554 Wattasid dynasty was succeeded by Saadi Sultanate Achir Zirid dynasty Algeria 936 1014 al-Mansuriyya Tunisia 972 1057 Mahdia 1057 1148
Sub-Saharan Africa Central Africa
Old capital city Country Today a part of From Until Change, reason Jamba Angola, Democratic People's Republic of Angola 1975 1976 Jamba Angola, Democratic People's Republic of Angola 1979 2002 Halã-Vala, Bimbe-Katapi (Bailundo) Bailundo Angola c. 1700 1903 Cabinda Cabinda, Republic of Angola 1975 1976 Boma Congo Free State Congo, Democratic Republic of the 1886 1908 Boma Congo, Belgian Congo, Democratic Republic of the 1908 1926 moved to Léopoldville (Kinshasa) Stanleyville (Kisangani) Congo, People's Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the 1964 1965 Quinguele Kakongo Angola ? 1885 Njimi Kanem Chad fl. 11th century c. 1396 lost to Bulala invaders (eventually moved to Ngazargamu) Élisabethville (Lubumbashi) Katanga, State of Congo, Democratic Republic of the 1960 1963 São Salvador (M'banza-Kongo) Kongo, Kingdom of Angola 1483 1915 Lumbala N'guimbo Mbunda Kingdom Angola c. 1500 1917 Cabaça Ndongo, Kingdom of Angola ? 1657 Bakwanga (Mbuji-Mayi) South Kasai Congo, Democratic Republic of the 1960 1962 Kasongo Utetera, Sultanate of Congo, Democratic Republic of the 1860 1887 Cuíto Viye Angola 1750 1890 Ganda-a-Caué (Caála) Wambu Angola c. 1650 1902 Huambo-Cabral Moncada (Lépi) Wambu Angola 1902 1903 Malabo Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea 1968 2026
Eastern Africa Old capital city Country Today a part of From Until Change, reason Zanzibar City Zanzibar, Sultanate of Tanzania 1856 1964 Sultanate ceased to exist; Zanzibar Revolution Zanzibar City Zanzibar, People's Republic of Tanzania 1964 1964 Zanzibar merged with Tanganyika in 1964. The city remains the capital of semi-autonomous region of Zanzibar. Dar es Salaam Tanganyika Tanzania 1961 1964 country merged with Zanzibar to form Tanzania Dar es Salaam Tanzania Tanzania 1964 1996 capital moved to Dodoma Axum Aksum, Kingdom of Ethiopia 50 ? city abandoned Debre Berhan Ethiopian Empire Ethiopia 1456 mid-1470s Emperor returned to custom of a moving capital Gondar Ethiopian Empire Ethiopia 1635 late 19th century moved to Addis Ababa Bujumbura Burundi Burundi 1962 2018 moved to Gitega Entebbe Uganda, Protectorate of Uganda 1894 1962 moved to Kampala
Southern Africa Old capital city Country Today a part of From Until Change, reason Otjimbingwe German South-West Africa Namibia 1886 1892 moved to Windhoek Zomba British Central Africa Protectorate Malawi 1893 1907 Protectorate renamed as Nyasaland Protectorate. Zomba Nyasaland Protectorate Malawi 1907 1953 Merged with Southern Rhodesia and Northern Rhodesia to form the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. Zomba Malawi Malawi 1964 1975 Capital moved to Lilongwe. Fort Jameson (Chipata) North-Eastern Rhodesia Zambia 1899 1911 Merged with North-Western Rhodesia to form Northern Rhodesia. Kalomo North-Western Rhodesia Zambia 1899 1907 Moved to Livingstone. Livingstone North-Western Rhodesia Zambia 1907 1911 Merged with North-Western Rhodesia to form Northern Rhodesia. Livingstone Northern Rhodesia Zambia 1911 1935 Moved to Lusaka. Island of Mozambique Portuguese Mozambique Mozambique 1498 1898 Moved to Maputo.
Western Africa Old capital city Country Today a part of From Until Change, reason Ribeira Grande (Cidade Velha) Portuguese Cape Verde Cape Verde 1462 1770 moved to Praia Grand-Bassam Ivory Coast (French colony) Ivory Coast 1893 1900 moved to Bingerville Bingerville Ivory Coast (French colony) Ivory Coast 1900 1933 moved to Abidjan Abidjan Ivory Coast (French colony) Ivory Coast 1933 1983 moved to Yamoussoukro Cape Coast Gold Coast Ghana 1664 1877 moved to Accra Bolama Portuguese Guinea Guinea-Bissau 1879 1941 moved to Bissau Boe Guinea-Bissau Guinea-Bissau 1973 1974 moved back to Bissau Ngazargamu Kanem-Bornu Empire Nigeria c. 1472 1808 lost to Fulani invaders (eventually moved to Kukawa) Kukawa Kanem-Bornu Empire Nigeria 1814 1893 Kingdom ceased to exist Lagos Colonial Nigeria Nigeria 1914 1960 Lagos Nigeria, Federation of Nigeria 1960 1991 moved to Abuja Igbo-Ukwu Nri, Kingdom of Nigeria 1043 1911 Kingdom was absorbed by Colonial Nigeria Aného Togoland Togo 1880s 1897 moved to Lomé
Asia Central Asia
Old capital city Country Today a part of From Until Change, reason Semey Alash Orda Kazakhstan 1917 1920 Entity named Kyrgyz ASSR established, capital moved to Orenburg Bukhara Bukhara, Khanate of Uzbekistan 1533 1551 moved to Samarqand Bukhara Bukhara, Khanate of Uzbekistan 1556 1756 Bukhara Bukhara, Emirate of Uzbekistan 1785 1920 Bukhara Bukharan SRR Uzbekistan 1920 1924 Kandahar Durrani Empire Afghanistan 1748 1772 moved to Kabul Ghazni Ghaznavid Empire Afghanistan 977 1163 moved to Lahore Ghazni Ghurid dynasty Afghanistan 1170s 1215 Bactra (Balkh) Greco-Bactrian Kingdom Afghanistan 3rd century BC 2rd century BC Herat Herat, Emirate of Afghanistan 1793 1863 Annexation of the country to the Emirate of Afghanistan Kandahar Kandahar, Principality of Afghanistan 1818 1855 Annexation of the country to the Emirate of Kabul Alma-Ata (Almaty) Kazakh SSR Kazakhstan 1936 1991 Alma-Ata (Almaty) Kazakhstan Kazakhstan 1991 1993 city renamed Almaty Almaty Kazakhstan Kazakhstan 1993 1998 moved to Astana Khiva Khiva, Khanate of Uzbekistan 1511 1920 Khiva Khorezm SRR Uzbekistan 1920 1924 Kokand (Fergana) Kokand, Khanate of Uzbekistan 1709 1876 Annexation of the country to the Russian Empire Asadabad Kunar, Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan 1991 1991 Fall of the state. Bagram Kushan Empire Afghanistan 1st century AD 1st century AD Maymana Maimana Khanate Afghanistan 1747 1892 Annexation of the country to the Emirate of Kabul, preceded by the sacking of the city Zaranj Mihrabanid dynasty Afghanistan 1236 1537 Omsk Russia (White Movement) Russia 1918 1920 White Movement defeated by Reds Samarkand Timurid Empire Uzbekistan 1370 1405 Capital moved to Herat. Zaranj Saffarid dynasty Afghanistan 861 1002 Herat Timurid Empire Afghanistan 1405 1507 Invaded by Muhammad Shaybani. Gurganj (Konye-Urgench) Khwarazmian Empire Turkmenistan 1077 1212 moved to Samarqand Iasy (Turkistan) Uzbek Khanate Kazakhstan 1469 1471 Samarkand Uzbek SSR Uzbekistan 1925 1930 moved to Tashkent Alexandria in the Caucasus (Bagram) Yavana Kingdom Afghanistan 180 BC AD 10
Eastern Asia