ancient capital
Historic ruling city
An ancient capital is a city that once served as a nation's or empire's seat of government but no longer holds that status.
The term often appears in tourism and historical contexts: Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan, Xi'an was an ancient capital of China.
Some ancient capitals remain major cities; others survive only as ruins.
- BabylonAncient Mesopotamian capital
- ruinsDecayed structural remains
- historic settlementOld inhabited place of significance
- MesopotamiaTigris-Euphrates river region
- lost civilizationAncient society now gone
Constantinople · Kyoto · Angkor · Buddhism · Rome · fallen empire · dynasties · Thebes · Memphis · Cusco · Athens · temples · sacred ground · kingship · throne room · Carthage · Persepolis · silk road
- historic placesghost town, old town, colonial town, historic district, medieval town
- Ancient MemphisMemphis, necropolis, Imhotep, royal tombs, burial chambers
- Nanjingcity walls, salted duck, Nanking Massacre, Treaty of Nanking, city wall
- Sri Lankan antiquitiesstupas, sacred city, moonstones, bodhi tree, stupa
- NabataeanPetra, royal tombs, high places, water systems, cisterns
- NaraNara, sacred deer, deer park, palace grounds, lantern festival
political centrality
ancient capitalprovincial town
Settlement outside major cities
backwater · rural village · remote village · outpost · frontier town