This list of Arabic exonyms includes names that are significantly different from the names of the same places in other languages, as well as names of Arabic origin in countries (especially Spain) where Arabic is no longer spoken. Some of these exonyms are no longer in use; these are marked by italics.
Places not mentioned are generally referred to in Arabic by their respective names in their native languages, adapted to Arabic phonology as necessary.
Austria AustriaEnglish nameArabic nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageAustriaan-Namsā (النمسا)Comes from the Ottoman Turkish نمچه (nemçe, “Austrian”), which comes from the Proto-Slavic word němьcь, which means foreigner/non-Slav/German.Goldstein: Press 1 for English. The Dartmouth. Archived from the original on 2018-07-06 and can be viewed on 2018-05-22.Namenforschung / Name Studies / Les noms propres. 2. Halbband+Registerband. Walter de Gruyter. 1 Jan 1996. Archived from the original on 2020-01-03.The Wiktionary for النمسا
China ChinaEnglish nameArabic nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageBeijingKhān Bālq (خان بالق)These passages about Khān Bālq taken from al-Masalikwebsite, which itself is taken from The Rihla, a travelogue written by Ibn Battuta.The Medieval World Through Muslim Eyes by Abdullah Ibrahim.
Archived Version made in 26 Feb, 2020] or Bekīn (بكين) or Beijīn/Beijīnq/Beijīngh (بيجين/بيجينق/بيجينغ)Khān Bālq is the old medieval Arabic exonym for Beijing, it was named as such after the winter capital of the Mongolian Yuan dynasty, Khanbaliq, which is the direct predecessor to modern Beijing. Bekīn arouse from the French exonym Pékin, which itself came from the Portuguese exonym Pequim.
The exonyms Beijīn, Beijīnq, and Beijīngh are the modern Arabic exonyms for Beijing, they come from the Mandarin name of the city and are often used interchangeably.Chinaaṣ-Ṣīn (الصين)The Wiktionary for الصين or Māṣīn (ماصين)Yule, Henry (2005) . Cordier, Henri (ed.). Cathay and the Way Thither, pg.165. aṣ-Ṣīn is derived from Middle Persian 𐭰𐭩𐭭 (čīn, “China”), from Sanskrit चीन (cīna, “China”), itself usually derived from Old Chinese 秦 (*zin, “Qin”). Māṣīn is derived from the Persian Machin (ماچين), itself derived from the Sanskrit Maha Chin meaning Great China. This exonym was rarely used.GuangzhouṢīn Kalan (صين كَلان) or Ṣīn aṣ-Ṣīn (صين الصين)These passages about Guangzhou taken from al-Masalik website, which itself is taken from The Rihla, a travelogue written by Ibn Battuta.The Mutual Civilizational Influences Between the Islamic World and China (المؤثرات الحضارية المتبادلة بين العالم الإسلامي والصين) by Ibrahim Muhammad, pg. 62. or Ṣīniyat aṣ-Ṣīn (صينية الصين)Muhammad al-Idrisi, Nuzhat al-mushtāq fī ikhtirāq al-āfāq. p.211 This page about Guangzhou on Wikisource] QID:Q1089336Ṣīn Kalan, Ṣīn aṣ-Ṣīn, and Ṣīniyat aṣ-Ṣīn are all derived from the Persian Machin (ماچين), itself derived from the Sanskrit Maha Chin meaning Great China. Kalan (كَلان) is also of Persian origin and translates to 'Large' or 'Great'.Hangzhoual-Khansā' (الخنساء)Jawahir al-Kalam by Sheikh Muhammad Hasan an-Najafi, pg.145. Archived version made in 30 Nov, 2019]al-Khansā is the medieval Arabic exonym for the city of Hangzhou, it was named as such after the companion of Muhammad and famous female poet, Tumāḍir al-Khansā'. al-Khansā' translates to "snub-nosed", an Arabic epithet for a gazelle as metaphor for beauty. |- |Quanzhou |Madinat az-Zaytūn (مدينة الزيتون)These passages about Quanzhou taken from al-Masalik website, which itself is taken from The Rihla, a travelogue written by Ibn Battuta.
|Madinat az-Zaytūn translates to 'City of the Olives' and is a calque of Quanzhou's former Chinese nickname Citong Cheng' meaning "tung-tree city", which is derived from the avenues of oil-bearing tung trees ordered to be planted around the city by the city's 10th-century ruler Liu Congxiao.Schottenhammer, Angela (2010). "Transfer of Xiangyao 香藥 from Iran and Arabia to China: A Reinvestigation of Entries in the Youyang Zazu 酉陽雜俎 (863)". Aspects of the Maritime Silk Road: From the Persian Gulf to the East China Sea. East Asian Maritime History. Vol. 10. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag. p. 145. Haw, Stephen G. (2006). Marco Polo's China: a Venetian in the realm of Khubilai Khan. Routledge studies in the early history of Asia. Vol. 3. Psychology Press. p. 121. .
Cyprus CyprusEnglish nameArabic nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageNicosiaal-'Afqūsiyah (الأَفْقُوسِيَة)«al-'Afqusiyah (Nicosia): The name of the main city of Cyprus, it known in Roman(Latin) as 'Afaqadion', which means the most strategic area. I was told so by an Arabic man of Cypriot origin.» [الأَفْقُوسِيَة] part 1 pg 232, Yaqut al-Hamwi. معجم البلدان. or Niqūsiah (نيقوسيا)al-'Afqūsiyah (الأفقوسية) was the old Arabic name for Nicosia, and it originates from the Byzantine Greek name of the city, Λευκωσία (Lefkosia). Niqūsiah (نيقوسيا) is the Modern Arabic name for the city.
France FranceEnglish nameArabic nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageBay of BiscayBāhr al-Akhdar
Georgia GeorgiaEnglish nameArabic nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageGeorgiaal-Kurj (الكُرج) or Bilād al-Kurj (بلاد الكُرج) or Kurjistan (كُرْجِسْتَان) or Jorjyah (جورجيا)al-Kurj or Bilād al-Kurj (The Lands of Georgia) was the Arabic exonym for Georgia during medieval times, it most likely came from the Persian exonym for Georgia, Gorj (گرج), the name is still in use today although rarely. Kurjistan was most likely borrowed from the Turkish exonym Gorjestân, which is of Persian origin, it most likely gained popularity during Ottoman rule.
Jorjyah is currently the most widely used exonym, which comes from the European name for Georgia.TbilisiTiflīs (تفليس)Encyclopedia of Orientalists by Abd al-Rahman Badawi (موسوعة المستشرقين لعبد الرحمن بدوي), a copy has been preserved March 15, 2020 on the Wayback Machine.Everett-Heath, John (2020). "Tbilisi (Tbilisi), Georgia (Tiflis)". The Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names (6 ed.). Oxford University Press. . Archived from the original on 28 May 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2021. The former name is the Persian pronunciation, which is also used by Russians and Armenians. The present Georgian spelling was adopted in 1936Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition: "Tiflīs"Comes from the Persian pronunciation of the name, Tiflis.Wiktionary for تفلیس
Germany GermanyEnglish nameArabic nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageGermany'Almānya (أَلمَانِيَا)Comes from the French name for Germany, Allemagne, but was known in medieval times as Jirmānyah (جرمانية), which was the Arabized form of its Latin name, Germania.
Gibraltar GibraltarEnglish nameArabic nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageGibraltarJabal Ṭāriq (جبل طارق)W. Montgomery Watt; Pierre Cachia (2007). A History of Islamic Spain. Transaction Publishers. p. 8. . Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2020.Founded with an Arabic name meaning 'Mountain of Ṭariq', named for the 8th-century Islamic military leader Ṭariq ibn Ziyad.
Greece GreeceEnglish nameArabic nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageGreeceal-Yūnān (اليُونَان)Comes from Old Persian 𐎹𐎢𐎴 (Yauna, “Ionia”), which references the Greek region of Ionia, that resides in modern-day Turkey.HeraklionRabḍ al-Khandaq (ربض الخندق)Encyclopaedia of Islam, s.v. IķrīṭishGiven an Arabic name after its conquest, this name was then Hellenized as Χάνδαξ (Chándax) or Χάνδακας (Chándakas), and would remain until the 19th century when the city revived its ancient name Ηράκλειον (Heracleion).Chaniaal-Hānim (الهانم) or Khānia (خانيا)al-Hānim (الهانم) is the Arabic name given to Chania after its conquest; this name was then Hellenized as Χανιά (Chania), and it is from which the modern Arabic exonym Khānia (خانيا) originates.
Italy ItalyEnglish nameArabic nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageAcirealeal-Yāj (الْياج) or Liyāj (لِياج)AgiraShant Fīlibb (شنت فيلب)Arabized form of its old name San Filippo.AlcamoManzil al-Qāmūq (منزل القاموق) or Alqāmāh (علقمة)Hussein Munis (1987). Atlas of the history of Islam. Cairo (1st edition). Al-Zahraa for Arab Media(الزهراء للإعلام العربي). p.163 . QID: Q114648616.Manzil al-Qāmūq (House of al-Qāmūq) is the name Muhammad al-Idrisi wrote to be the original Arabic name of Alcamo, however the Arabs at the time referred to it as 'Alqāmāh. al-Qāmūq is the founder of Alcamo.Alcara li FusiAl-AqarātFounded with Arabic nameAlìAli (عَلِيّ)Agathae sub AlisOne of the possible theories for the etymology of this town is the Arabic name Ali (عَلِيّ).AlimenaAl-ImānFounded with Arabic nameAliminusaRakhbal Al-MīnusaAmalfiMalf (ملف)Ancona'Ankūnah (أَنْكُونَة)Muhammad al-Idrisi, Nuzhat al-mushtāq fī ikhtirāq al-āfāq. p.752 QID:Q1089336 or 'Anqūnah (أَنْقُونَة)Muhammad al-Idrisi, Nuzhat al-mushtāq fī ikhtirāq al-āfāq. p.754 QID:Q1089336ApuliaBūlyah (بولية)Muhammad al-Idrisi, Nuzhat al-mushtāq fī ikhtirāq al-āfāq. p.771 QID:Q1089336AquileiaIklāyah (إيكلاية)Muhammad al-Idrisi, Nuzhat al-mushtāq fī ikhtirāq al-āfāq. p.748 QID:Q1089336 or 'Anklāyah (أنكلاية)JEAN-CHARLES, JEAN-CHARLES (2012). "La France et les territoires avoisinants dans le Uns al-muhaǧ wa-rawḍ al-furaǧ." Journal Asiatique 300.1: 87–138. Archived from the original on 2022-09-28. Retrieved 2022-09-28.BagheriaBab al-Gharb (باب الغرب) or Baḥrīyah (بحرية)Founded with Arabic name; either from Bab al-Garb (باب الغرب), 'Gate of the West', or from Baḥrīyah (بحرية), which means 'Sea' or 'Marine'.BeneventoBinfint (بنفنت) or Binbint (بنبنت)Muhammad al-Idrisi, Nuzhat al-mushtāq fī ikhtirāq al-āfāq. p.760 QID:Q1089336BorghettoAl-BurjātahFounded with Arabic nameBrindisi'Abrinṭas (ابرنطس) or 'Abrindas (ابرندس)Muhammad al-Idrisi, Nuzhat al-mushtāq fī ikhtirāq al-āfāq. p.632 BuscemiQalʿat ʾAbū Shāma (قلعة أبو شامة) or Qalʿat ʾAbī Shāma (قلعة أبي شامة)Muhammad al-Idrisi, Nuzhat al-mushtāq fī ikhtirāq al-āfāq. p.614 QID:Q1089336The Wiktionary for BuscemiFounded with Arabic name: 'The Fortress of the Man with the Mole'. Over the centuries the name has been Romanized as Abu Xamah, Abuxama, or even Abisama. The Latinized version Buxemae and Bussemae, from the Norman period, however, is the one closest to today's form.CagliariQālmarah (قالمرة)CalabriaQalawriyah (قَلَوْرِيَة)Ibn al-Shama' (ابن الشماع). Evidence of illumination in the glories of the Hafsid dynasty(الأدلة البينة النورانية في مفاخر الدولة الحفصية).Muhammad Abdullah Annan, دولة الإسلام في الأندلس, part 2, pg. 427, QID: Q20418218CalamonaciQalamūnash or Qal'at Mūn (قلعة مون) or Qal'at Mūnah (قلعة مونة)Vol. 16 (2016) Vera von Falkenhausen, Nadia Jamil, Jeremy Johns, The twelfth-century documents of St. George's of Tròccoli (Sicily)Calamonaci has two possible etymologies: either from Qalamūnash, which itself is a derivation from the Greek Kalamiōn, or from Qal'at Mūn/Mūnah 'Fortress of Mūn/Mūnah'.Calatafimi-SegestaQal'at Fīmī (قلعة فيمي)Muhammad al-Idrisi, Nuzhat al-mushtāq fī ikhtirāq al-āfāq. p.608 QID:Q1089336Founded with Arabic name: 'Fortress of Fīmī'.CaltabellottaQal'at al-Balūṭ (قلعة البلوط)Muhammad al-Idrisi, Nuzhat al-mushtāq fī ikhtirāq al-āfāq. p.600 QID:Q1089336Founded with Arabic name: 'Fortress of The Oak'.CaltagironeQal'at Ghīrān (قلعة غيران) or Qa'lat al-Jinūn (قلعة الجنون)Founded with Arabic name.