List of former capitals

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The list of former capitals deals with cities that were temporarily capitals but have lost their status due to the fall of the state or relocation of the capital. The list is sorted by country and then by period.

Africa

Former capital Land, empire from to the reason for the change
Fustāt Egypt 641
905 		750
969 		Moved to Al-Askar.
Moved to Cairo .
Al-Askar Egypt 750 868 Switched to Al-Qatta'i .
Al-Qatta'i Egypt 868 905 Went back to Fustāt .
Bujumbura Burundi 1962 2018 Switched to Gitega
Léopoldville Democratic Republic of Congo 1960 1966 Renamed to Kinshasa .
Otjimbingwe German South West Africa 1885 1891 Moved to Windhoek .
Grootfontein German South West Africa 1915 1915 Went back to Windhoek.
Grand Bassam Ivory Coast 1893 1900 Switched to Bingerville .
Bingerville Ivory Coast 1900 1933 Switched to Abidjan .
Abidjan Ivory coast . 1933 1983 Switched to Yamoussoukro .
Cape Coast Ghana ( gold coast ) 1664 1877 Moved to Accra .
Bolama Guinea-Bissau 1879 1941 Moved to Bissau .
Boe Guinea-Bissau 1973 1974 Went back to Bissau .
Njimi Kanem 11th century circa 1396 Lost to Bulala invaders (probably moved to Ngazargamu ).
Ngazargamu Kanem Bornu Empire circa 1472 1808 Lost to Fulbe invaders (probably moved to Kukawa ).
Kukawa Kanem Bornu Empire 1814 1893 The kingdom's existence ended.
Zomba Malawi 1880s 1960s Switched to Lilongwe .
Lagos Nigeria 1914 1976 Changed to Abuja .
Aneho Togo 1880s 1897 Switched to Lomé .
Dar es Salaam Tanzania 1964 1973 Switched to Dodoma .

Asia

South, Southeast and East Asia

Former capital Land, empire from to the reason for the change
Calcutta British India 1772 1912 Changed to New Delhi .
Simla British India around 1850 1947 Summer capital.
Yin ( Anyang ) China ( Shang Dynasty ) 14th century v. Chr. approx. 1046 BC Chr. Moved to Chang'an - end of the Shang Dynasty.
Chang'an China ( Zhou Dynasty ) approx. 1046 BC Chr. 722 BC Chr. Switched to Luoyang .
Luoyang China ( Zhou Dynasty ) 772 BC Chr. 221 BC Chr. Moved to Xianyang - fall of the Zhou Dynasty.
Xianyang China ( Qin Dynasty ) 221 BC Chr. 206 BC Chr. Went back to Chang'an - Fall of the Qin Dynasty.
Chang'an China ( Han Dynasty ) 206 BC Chr. 25th Went back to Luoyang .
Luoyang China ( Han Dynasty ) 25th 220 The fall of the Han Dynasty marked the beginning of the Six Dynasties Period .
Chang'an China ( Tang Dynasty ) 618 907 The fall of the Tang Dynasty marked the beginning of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period .
Kaifeng China ( Song Dynasty ) 960 1127 Moved to Hangzhou .
Hangzhou China ( Song Dynasty ) 1127 1279 Kublai Khan integrated China into the Mongol Empire .
Nanjing China ( Ming Dynasty ) 1368 1421 Moved to Beijing .
Beijing China 1421 1928 Went back to Nanjing .
Nanjing China 1928 1937 Moved to Chongqing .
Chongqing China 1937 1945 Went back to Nanjing .
Nanjing China 1945 1949 Moved to Beijing - Following the proclamation of the People's Republic of China , the Republic of China government fled to Taiwan and made Taipei the provisional capital. Nanjing remained the official capital of China.
Hakodate Republic of Ezo 1868 1869 Ezo was annexed by Japan
Taipei Republic of Formosa 1895 1895 Switched to Tainan
Tainan Republic of Formosa 1895 1895 Formosa was annexed by Japan
Yogyakarta (city) Indonesia 1946 1948 Moved to Bukittinggi after the Allied invasion during World War II .
Bukittinggi Indonesia 1948 1949 Moved to Jakarta .
Naniwa ( today's Osaka ) Japan (Kofun period) 592 Switched to Asuka-kyō (Asuka) because of the death of Sushun - tennō
Asuka-kyō ( Asuka ) Japan (Asuka time) 592 645 Switched to Naniwa
Naniwa (Osaka) Japan (Asuka time) 645 655 Moved to Asuka-kyō because of the death of Kōtoku -tennō
Asuka-kyō (Asuka) Japan (Asuka time) 655 667 Switched to Ōmi-kyō ( Ōtsu )
Ōmi-kyō ( Ōtsu ) Japan (Asuka time) 667 672 Moved back to Asuka-kyō because of the death of Kōbun -tennō
Asuka-kyō (Asuka) Japan (Asuka time) 672 694 Switched to Fujiwara-kyō ( Kashihara )
Fujiwara-kyō ( Kashihara ) Japan (Asuka time) 694 710 Switched to Heijō-kyō ( Nara )
Heijō-kyō ( Nara ) Japan (Nara period) 710 740 Moved to Kuni-kyō ( Kizugawa )
Kuni-kyō ( Kizugawa ) Japan (Nara period) 740 744 Moved to Naniwa-kyō (Osaka)
Naniwa-kyō (Osaka) Japan (Nara period) 744 744 Switched to Shigaraki ( Kōka )
Shigaraki ( Kōka ) Japan (Nara period) 745 745 Switched back to Heijō-kyō (Nara)
Heijō-kyō (Nara) Japan (Nara period) 745 784 Switched to Nagaoka-kyō
Nagaoka-kyō Japan (Nara period) 784 794 Moved to Heian-kyō ( Kyōto )
Heian-kyō ( Kyoto ) Japan (Heian period) 794 1180 Moved to Fukuhara-kyō ( Kobe )
Fukuhara-kyō ( Kobe ) Japan (Heian period) 1180 1180 Switched back to Heian-kyō ( Kyōto )
Heian-kyō ( Kyoto ) Japan 1180 1868 Moved to Tokyo (see also: Capital of Japan ).
Kaesŏng Korea ( Koryo Dynasty ) 936 1392 Moved to Hanyang ( Seoul ) - fall of the Koryo dynasty
Marawi Sultanate of Maguindanao 1205 (?) 1800s (?) Annexed by the Spanish East Indies .
Yangon Myanmar 1948 2005 Switched to Naypyidaw .
Bacolod Negros, Cantonal Republic 1898 1899 Claimed by the Philippines .
Karachi Pakistan 1947 1959 Switched to Rawalpindi .
Rawalpindi Pakistan 1959 1967 Moved to Islamabad .
Malolos First Philippine Republic 1898 1899 Headquarters of the Revolutionary Movement (Note: Various other places were made capital for a short time to avoid American access. These were: San Isidro , Cabanatuan , Bamban , Tarlac , Bayambang and Palanan ). Capital status returned to Manila after Emilio Aguinaldo's arrest in 1901.
Manila Commonwealth of the Philippines 1934 1941 Japanese occupation. Went back to Manila in 1945 after the Liberation of the Philippines.
Baguio Commonwealth of the Philippines 1934 1941 Summer capital.
Manila Second Philippine Republic (Japanese supported) 1943 1945 Liberation of the Philippines from Japanese occupation.
Manila Philippines 1946 1948 Moved to Quezon City after the formation of the Republic of the Philippines under Republic Act No. 333.
Baguio Philippines 1946 1976 Summer capital, went back to Manila by Presidential Decree No. 940.
Quezon City Philippines 1948 1976 Went back to Manila by Presidential Decree No. 940. Quezon City became, along with Manila, part of Metro Manila . Various government officials remained in Quezon City, including the Batasang Pambansa (former parliament of the Philippines) and ultimately the House of Representatives . Manila remained the state capital to this day.
Saigon South Vietnam 1954 1975 Hanoi , the existence of the state ended after the unification of Vietnam .
Cebu Spanish East Indies 1562 (?) 1578 (?) First Spanish settlement in this country. Moved to Manila (formerly Maynilad) after taking the city.
Manila Spanish East Indies 1578 (?) 1762 Captured by the British during the Seven Years' War , returned to Spain after the Peace of Paris .
Bacolor Spanish East Indies 1762 1764 Capital of the government-in-exile under Governor General Simon de Anda during the Seven Years' War . Went back to Manila.
Manila Spanish East Indies 1764 1901 Assigned to the United States under the Peace of Paris of 1898.
Colombo Sri Lanka 1815 1982 Capital switched to Kotte .
Jolo Sultanate of Sulu 1450 (?) 1899 Annexed by the United States .
Sukhothai Siam (today: Thailand ), Kingdom of Sukhothai 1238 1438 Became part of the Ayutthaya Kingdom in 1438 .
Chiang Mai Siam (now Thailand), Lanna 1259 1939 Annexed by Siam (Thailand).
Ayutthaya Siam (Thailand), Kingdom of Ayutthaya 1350 1767 Moved to Thonburi after the city was destroyed by the Burmese .
Thonburi Siam (Thailand) 1767 1782 Moved to Bangkok after King Taksin was deposed and his successor King Rama I founded his new capital there.
Tainan Kingdom of Dongning (Taiwan) 1662 1683 Fall of the Kingdom of Dongning

Central and Southwest Asia

Former capital Land, empire from to the reason for the change
Kandahar Afghanistan 1748 1772 Switched to Kabul .
Ekbatana Iran ( Medes Empire ) 7th century v. Chr. 550 BC Chr. Taken by Cyrus the Great .
Pasargadae , Persepolis and Susa Iran ( Old Persian Empire ) 550 BC Chr. 330 BC Chr. Captured by Alexander the Great and incorporated into the Macedonian Empire .
Seleukia Iran ( Seleucid Empire ) 305 BC Chr. 240 BC Chr. Switched to Antioch .
Antioch Iran ( Seleucid Empire ) 240 BC Chr. 64 BC Chr. Conquered by the Parthians .
Ctesiphon Iran ( Parthian and Sassanid empires) approx. 64 BC Chr. 637 Fell over Persia during the Islamic campaigns of conquest.
Nishapur Iran ( Tahirid Dynasty ) 821 873 Conquered by Saffarid Dynasty .
Shiraz Iran ( Saffarid Dynasty ) 861 900 Conquered by the Samanids .
Bukhara , Samarkand and Herat Iran ( Samanid Dynasty ) 875 999 Conquered by the Qarakhanids .
Tabriz Iran ( Safavid Dynasty ) 1501 1548 Switched to Qazvin .
Qazvin Iran ( Safavid Dynasty ) 1548 1598 Switched to Isfahan .
Isfahan Iran ( Safavid Dynasty ) 1598 1736 Switched to Mashhad .
Mashhad Iran ( Afsharid dynasty ) 1736 1750 Switched to Shiraz .
Shiraz Iran ( Zand Dynasty ) 1750 1782 Moved to Sari in the Qajar dynasty .
Sari Iran ( Qajar dynasty ) 1782 1795 Moved to Tehran .
Hebron Davidic-Solomon Empire approx. 1007 BC Chr. approx. 1000 BC Chr. Moved to Jerusalem when the kingdom was merged under David .
Tel Aviv Israel May 1948 Dec 1948 Temporarily de facto capital, moved to Jerusalem after it was occupied by Israeli troops in the Palestine War in 1948.
Jerusalem Kingdom of Jerusalem 1099 1187 Moved to Acre ( Saladin captured Jerusalem ).
Taizz Yemen 1948 1962 Switched to Sanaa .
acre Kingdom of Jerusalem 1187 1291 The kingdom's existence ended.
Semei Kazakhstan ( Alash Orda ) 1917 1920 A unit called the Kyrgyz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (ASSR) was established and the capital changed to Orenburg .
Orenburg Kazakhstan ( Kyrgyz ASSR ) 1920 1925 Switched to Kyzylorda .
Kyzylorda Kazakhstan ( Kazakh ASSR ) 1926 1929 Switched to Alma-Ata .
Alma-ata Kazakhstan ( Kazakh ASSR , Independent Kazakhstan) 1929 1993 Renamed Almaty.
Almaty Kazakhstan 1993 1998 Switched to Astana .
Astana Kazakhstan 1998 2019 Renamed Nur-Sultan .
Salalah Oman 1932 1970 Moved to Muscat .
Diraja Saudi Arabia 1744 1818 Moved to Riyadh after the city was destroyed by the Turks .
Aden South Yemen 1967 1990 The existence of the state ended after the unification of Yemen with the common capital Sanaa . Interim capital of Yemen again since March 21, 2015.
Samarkand Uzbekistan ( SSR ) 1925 1930 Switched to Tashkent .

Europe

Northern Europe

Former capital Land, empire from to the reason for the change
Roskilde Denmark circa 1020 1443 Moved to Copenhagen .
Winchester Kingdom of England Wessex 519 1066 Moved to London .
Turku Grand Duchy of Finland 1809 1812 Moved to Helsinki .
Vaasa Finland January 26, 1918 May 3, 1918 Moved among the “white troops” of Helsinki during the Finnish Civil War .
Hill of Tara Ireland (under the Irish High Kings ) 6th century 12th century Ireland was taken by the Normans.
Kilkenny Confederation of Ireland 1642 1651 Cromwellian conquest of Ireland by Cromwell .
Kaunas Lithuania 1922 1940 Went back to Vilnius .
Nidaros, today  Trondheim Norway 997 1070 Switched to mountains .
Bjørgvin, today Bergen Norway 1070 1299 Moved to Oslo .
Perth Kingdom of Scotland 846 1452 Moved to Edinburgh .
Gamla Uppsala Sweden 9th century 1273 Moved to Uppsala .
Uppsala Sweden 1273 1436 Moved to Stockholm .
Tromso Norway 1940 1940 Occupation by the German Empire

Southern Europe

Former capital Land, empire from to the reason for the change
Constantinople Byzantine Empire 330 1453 The empire fell to the Ottoman Empire , which made the city its capital.
Burgos Castile 11th century 15th century Moved to Valladolid
Granada Emirate of Granada 1250 1492 The existence of the emirate ended after the Reconquista and was incorporated into the royal house of Castile .
Nafplio Greece 1821 1836 Moved to Athens .
Aegina Greece 1827 1829 Went back to Nafplion .
Turin Italy 1861 1865 Moved to Florence .
Florence Italy 1865 1871 Moved to Rome .
Salerno Italy 1944 1944 At times; moved back to Rome after the later liberation.
Milan Duchy of Milan 1395 1796 Annexed by France .
Mdina Malta 1566 Switched to Valletta .
Modena Duchy of Modena 1452 1860 Became part of the United Italy.
Naples Kingdom of Naples 1282 1816 The Kingdom of Naples merges into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies .
Bursa Ottoman Empire 1335 1365 Changed to Edirne .
Edirne Ottoman Empire 1365 1453 Moved to Istanbul (Constantinople).
Istanbul Ottoman Empire 1453 1923 The Ottoman Empire became the Republic of Turkey . The capital status fell to Ankara .
Piacenza Duchy of Parma and Piacenza 1545 1547 Moved to Parma after the assassination attempt on Duke Pier Luigi II Farnese .
Parma Duchy of Parma and Piacenza 1547 1860 Became part of the United Italy.
Guimarães Portugal 1095 1131 Switched to Coimbra .
Coimbra Portugal 1131 1255 Moved to Lisbon .
Lisbon Portugal 1255 1808 Moved to Rio de Janeiro .
Turin Kingdom of Sardinia 1720 1861 Became part of the United Italy.
Turin Duchy of Savoy 1563 1720 Became part of the Kingdom of Sardinia.
Palermo Kingdom of Sicily 1130 1816 The kingdom changed to the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies .
Toledo Spain 15th century 1561 Moved to Madrid .
Madrid Spain 1561 1600 Moved to Valladolid .
Valladolid Spain 1600 1606 Moved back to Madrid .
Valencia Spain 1936 1939 Seat of government of the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War .
Burgos Spain 1936 1939 Seat of government of the nationalists during the Spanish Civil War .
Trieste Trieste Free Territory 1947 1954 The territory was dissolved and integrated into Italy and Yugoslavia .
Florence Tuscany 1569 1860 Became part of United Italy.
Naples Kingdom of the Two Sicilies 1816 1861 Became part of United Italy.
Venice Republic of Venice 9th century 1797 Annexed by Austria .

Central and Western Europe

There is a separate article on the capitals of the German states:

Former capital Land, empire from to the reason for the change
Danzig Republic of Gdansk 1807 1814 detached from Prussia.
Danzig Free City of Gdansk 1920 1939 State by the Treaty of Versailles.
Vichy France 1940 1944 Capital of the Vichy regime .
Vienna Empire of Austria 1806 1867 Became the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Empire .
Vienna Austria-Hungary 1867 1918 Became the capital of the Republic of Austria .
Gniezno Poland 10th century 1038 Moved to Krakow .
Poses Poland 10th century 1038 Moved to Krakow .
Krakow Poland 1038 1079 Switched to Plock .
Plock Poland 1079 1138 Moved to Krakow .
Krakow Poland 1138 1290 Switched to poses .
Poses Poland 1290 1296 Moved to Krakow .
Krakow Poland 1296 1596 Moved to Warsaw .
Lublin Poland 1944 1945 De facto capital.
Łódź Poland 1945 1947 de facto capital at the time.
Aarau Switzerland ( Helvetic Republic ) 1798 1798 Moved to Lucerne .
Lucerne Switzerland ( Helvetic Republic ) 1798 1803 The Helvetic Republic was dissolved.
Prague Czechoslovakia 1918 1993 Became the capital of the Czech Republic .
Székesfehérvár and Esztergom Hungary 972
(or 973) 		1256 The capital status changed from Esztergom to Buda after large parts of the city were destroyed by the Mongols in 1242 .
Buda Hungary 1361 1536 Moved to Pozsony after parts of the state were taken by the Ottoman Empire .
Bratislava (Pressburg or Pozsony ) Kingdom of Hungary 1536 1784 Went back to Buda .
Buda Hungary 1784 1849 Became part of Austria with the capital Vienna .
Buda Hungary (As part of Austria-Hungary ) 1867 1873 Association with Óbuda and Pest in Budapest .

Southeast and Eastern Europe

Former capital Land, empire from to the reason for the change
Vlora Albania 1912 1920 Switched to Tirana .
Pliska Bulgaria
(First Bulgarian Empire) 		681 893 Moved to Veliki Preslaw .
Veliki Preslaw Bulgaria
(First Bulgarian Empire) 		893 972 Switched to Ohrid .
Ohrid Bulgaria
(First Bulgarian Empire) 		990 1015 The existence of the empire ended after the conquest by the Byzantine Empire .
Veliko Tarnovo Bulgaria
(Second Bulgarian Empire) 		1185 1396 The existence of the empire ended after the conquest by the Ottoman Empire .
Mtskheta Georgia 3rd century v. Chr. 5th century A.D. Moved to Tbilisi
Kutaisi Georgia 978 1122 Went back to Tbilisi
Belgrade Yugoslavia 1918 2003 The community of states fell apart and Belgrade became the capital of Serbia .
Varaždin Croatia 1756 1776 Went back to Zagreb when a fire destroyed large parts of the city.
Plock Mazovia circa 1038 1047 Mazovia was incorporated into Poland .
Plock Mazovia 1138 1313 Moved to Czersk
Czersk Mazovia 1313 1413 Moved to Warsaw
Warsaw Mazovia 1413 1526 Mazovia was incorporated into Poland .
Plovdiv Eastern Rumelia 1878 1885 Annected as part of the Union of Bulgaria.
Suceava Moldova circa 1380 1564 Moved to Iași .
Iași Moldova 1565 1862 Union with Wallachia to form Romania.
Cetinje Montenegro 1482 1946 Moved to Podgorica .
Vladimir Principality of Vladimir-Suzdal (Russia) 1169 1327 Moved to Moscow .
Moscow Grand Duchy of Moscow (Russia) 1327 1712 Moved to Saint Petersburg .
Yaroslavl Grand Duchy of Moscow (Russia) 1611 1612 De facto capital.
Cherkassk Russia ( Cossack Hetmanate ) 1640 1805 Moved to Novocherkassk .
Novocherkassk Russia ( Cossack Hetmanate ) 1805 January 7, 1920 The Don Cossacks lost their sovereignty.
Saint Petersburg (Petrograd) Russian Empire 1712 1918 Moved to Moscow .
Moscow Soviet Union 1922 1991 The international community dissolved and Moscow became the capital of Russia .
Kiev Ukraine (Kievan Rus) 882 1169 Switched to Halytsch .
Tschyhyryn Ukraine ( Cossack Hetmanate ) 1648 1669 Switched to Baturyn .
Baturyn Ukraine ( Cossack Hetmanate ) 1669 1708 Moved to Hluchiw after the city was destroyed by Russian troops.
Hluchiw Ukraine ( Cossack Hetmanate ) 1708 1722 The Cossack hetmanate lost its sovereignty.
Hluchiw Ukraine ( Cossack Hetmanate ) 1727 1734 The Cossack hetmanate lost its sovereignty.
Baturyn Ukraine ( Cossack Hetmanate ) 1750 1764 The Cossack hetmanate lost its sovereignty.
Kharkiv Ukraine ( SSR ) 1919 1934 Moved to Kiev .
Câmpulung Wallachia 13th century 15th century Moved to Târgovişte .
Târgovişte Wallachia 1396 1698 Moved to Bucharest .

Oceania

Former capital Land, empire from to the reason for the change
Melbourne Australia 1901 1927 Moved to Canberra - provisional capital at the time, because Canberra was still developing.
Levuka Fiji 1874 1877 Switched to Suva .
Russell New Zealand 1840 1841 Moved to Auckland .
Auckland New Zealand 1841 1865 Moved to Wellington .
Colonia Federated States of Micronesia 1914 1999 Switched to Palikir .
Jabor Marshall Islands 1885 1944 Switched to Majuro .
Koror Palau 1994 2007 Changed to Ngerulmud .
Tulagi Solomon Islands 1896 1942 Switched to Honiara .

North America

The historic capitals of the United States , the Confederate States of America , the Republic of Texas, and the Kingdom of Hawaii or the Republic of Hawaii are included in the list of capitals of the United States .
Former capital Land, empire from to the reason for the change
Saint George's Town Bermuda 1612 1815 Moved to Hamilton .
Belize City British Honduras 1638 1970 Moved to Belmopan .
Chan Santa Cruz Chan Santa Cruz circa 1852 1901 Became part of Mexico .
Cartago Costa Rica 1562 1823 Moved to San José .
Spanish Town Jamaica 1534 1872 Switched to Kingston
Kingston Canada 1841 1843 Moved to Montreal .
Montreal Canada 1843 1849 Moved to Toronto .
Plymouth (Montserrat) de facto (city is destroyed due to volcanic eruption) Montserrat 1962 1997 Moved to Brades de facto (later Little Bay )
Toronto Canada 1849 1859 Moved to Québec .
Quebec Canada 1859 1865 Moved to Ottawa .
Santiago de Cuba Cuba 1522 1589 Moved to Havana (after 1607) .
St. John's Newfoundland 1855 1949 Formed a confederation with Canada .
San Jose de Oruña Trinidad 1592 1783 Changed to Port of Spain.
Port of Spain West Indian Federation 1958 1962 The existence of the state ended.
Merida Yucatan 1840 1847 Association with Mexico .

South America

Former capital Land, empire from to the reason for the change
Perquenco Kingdom of Araucania and Patagonia 1860 ? Has been incorporated into Chile and Argentina .
Paraná Argentine Federation 1853 1861 Moved to Buenos Aires .
Salvador da Bahia Brazil 1549 1763 Moved to Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro Portugal 1808 1815 Became the capital of Portugal when the Portuguese King John VI. 1808 moved to the colony of Brazil during the war with Napoleonic France .
Rio de Janeiro United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarve 1815 1825 The colony of Brazil was raised to the rank of a kingdom with equal rights to Portugal and, after the related law came into force on December 16, 1815, an association with the Algarve under the name: United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarve .
Rio de Janeiro Brazil 1763 1960 Moved to Brasília .
Concepción General Capitol of Chile 1565 1575 Moved to Santiago de Chile .
Cuzco Inca Empire 13th century circa 1533 Moved to Lima after the Spanish conquest.
Tacna Confederación Perú-Boliviana 1837 1839 The existence of this state ended.

See also