Curated category
Capitals in Asia
- SANAAThe first known text mentioning Sanaa dates back to the 5th century BCE, written in the Musnad script. Ancient inscriptions refer to the settlement as San'a…
- JérusalemThe name Jerusalem first appears in Egyptian Execration texts from the 19th century BCE as Rušalimum. Archaeological evidence points to a settlement near the…
- BeirutThe name Beirut first appeared in three Akkadian cuneiform tablets known as the Amarna letters during the 14th century BC.
- KabulKabul has existed for over 3,500 years. The Rigveda and Avesta texts refer to the Kabul River and a settlement called Kubha between 2000 BC and 1500 BC.
- ManamaThe northern coastline of Bahrain holds approximately 100,000 burial mounds dating back to the Dilmun civilization around 3000 BC.
- BangkokIn 1782, King Phutthayotfa Chulalok moved the capital to Rattanakosin Island and erected the City Pillar on April 21. This date marks the official founding…
- BaghdadOn the 30th of July 762, Caliph Al-Mansur commissioned the construction of a new city to serve as the capital of his Abbasid Empire.
- SeoulHuman habitation in the area now known as Seoul dates back 30,000 to 40,000 years. Archaeological evidence from the Amsa-dong Prehistoric Site reveals that…
- Abu DhabiIn 1761, a hunting party led by Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa Al Nahyan discovered fresh water near the coast of what is now Abu Dhabi.
- SingaporeIn 1365, the Javanese eulogy Nagarakretagama recorded a place called Temasek, meaning Sea Town, as a trading port under the influence of the Majapahit Empire.
- JakartaIn 1527, a Pasai-born military commander named Fatahillah drove Portuguese forces out of the coastal port known as Sunda Kelapa.
- DhakaThe name Dhaka remains a puzzle of uncertain roots. Some historians trace it to the dhak tree, which once grew thickly across the region.
- TokyoIn 1457, Ota Dōkan built Edo Castle to defend the region from the Chiba clan. This small fortress would eventually become the seat of power for the entire…
- DelhiOne of the most persistent stories about Delhi begins with a king named Dhillu. He supposedly built a city at this location in 50 BCE and named it after…
- BeijingThe caves of Dragon Bone Hill near Zhoukoudian in Fangshan District hold the earliest traces of human habitation found within Beijing's municipality.
- New DelhiGeorge V laid the foundation stone of New Delhi on the 12th of December 1911 during the Delhi Durbar. This event marked a decisive shift from Calcutta, which…