Ancient Capitals of the World Trivia Quiz

Answer: Tell el-Amarna

Tell el-Amarna was the capital of ancient Egypt for a brief time during the reign of Amenhotep IV, who is also known as Akhenaton. Historians believe that he moved the capital midway between the old capitals of Memphis and Thebes when his religious ideas of monotheism were met with opposition from the priests at Thebes. Dedicated to his new god, Aten, the city was abandoned shortly after his death in c. 336 BC, when his son, Tutankhamun became pharaoh and decided to return the capital to Thebes.

Answer: Parsa

The ancient Persians actually had many administrative capitals in their vast empire, but Parsa, also called "Persepolis" by the Greeks, was their ceremonial capital from approximately 550-330 BC. It is believed that Darius the Great began the construction of the city, which was the location of a grand processional that was held during the time of the spring equinox.

At this time, people from all over the Persian Empire would arrive to present gifts to the king. The city, with its impressive architectural columns and artistic reliefs had an extremely remote location and appears to have been the site of the Persian king's royal treasury.

At the time it was destroyed by Alexander the Great in 330 BC, it was written by Plutarch that it took 20,000 mules and 5,000 camels to remove the treasure.

Answer: Jerusalem

One of the oldest cities in the world, Jerusalem became the political capital of King David c. 1000 BC. The city had a water supply from natural springs in what was a desert area, and was naturally fortified. In addition, it was not part of an area that had already been claimed by one of the Twelve Tribes and had a central location. David's son, Solomon, built the First Temple on Mount Moriah which housed the sacred Ark of the Covenant and the city became a center of Judaism. Shortly after the death of Solomon, the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah split apart; Jerusalem, however, remained the capital of the Kingdom of Judah.

Answer: Chang'an

The city of Xi'am, also called Chang'an, is considered to be one of the oldest cities in China, and is the oldest of the four great ancient capitals. It continues to serve as the capital of Shaanxi Province today, however, centuries ago it was also the capital of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), which is considered to be the first imperial dynasty of China.

It was established after the unification of China, and used as a capital by many subsequent dynasties as well. The first Qin Emperor, Qin Shi Huang, ordered that his tomb be constructed nearby, which is why his Terracotta Army was found in the area in the 1970s, making it a relevant archaeological site today.

Answer: Pella

Pella was the capital of King Archelaus, King of Macedonia from 413-399 BC. In an attempt to refine the culture of his people, Archelaus invited Greek artists and scholars to live in his new capital. Both of ancient Macedonia's great rulers, Philip II and Alexander III were born in Pella, and recognized the city as the seat of their government.

They are credited with several impressive building projects, including palaces and temples, in the ancient city. Originally Pella was an important seaport, however, over time silt filled in the harbor.

It was sacked by the Romans in 168 BC, and was eventually destroyed by an earthquake.

Answer: Anuradhapura

King Pandukabhaya choose Anuradhapura as his capital in the 4th century BC. The city was built according to a plan that included a reservoir, shrines, cemetery, a place for executions, and a separate village for slaves. Future kings added more building projects such as a moat, wall, parks, stupas, monasteries, temples, and gatehouses. Archaeologists have found one of the most detailed irrigation systems of the ancient world there.

It is believed that the city was abandoned sometime around 993 AD, due to invasions from India and was left uninhabited until found by the British 600 years later.

Answer: Nineveh

The ancient city of Ninevah had quite a reputation, judging by accounts given in the Bible. One could see a variety of shocking sights in the city, including people being roasted alive over low fires and some being skinned alive. The Assyrians didn't tolerate any type of challenge to their authority.

Their capital city of Ninevah, was planned to be a showcase, with a palace that contained 80 rooms, and was decorated with stone reliefs. It is estimated that the ancient city covered 1730 acres, had 15 entrance gates placed along the massive walls, and with an estimated population of 100,000-150,000 people at its peak of power, might have been the largest city in the world of its time.

This status, however, was short-lived. The Assyrians had few allies and their policies created much animosity and hatred among the people they ruled.

After fifty years, the city was completely destroyed.

Answer: Petra

Although there is evidence that the area around Petra was inhabited as early as 9000 BC, it is believed that the city became the capital of the Nabataean Kingdom in the 4th century BC. The Nabaeaeans were a group of Arab nomads who came to have control over many of the cities in a trading network that included Petra.

They are credited with building Al Khazneh, also known as The Treasury, which is perhaps the best known architectural achievements in Petra and building a water conduit system for the city.

At the peak of its power, Petra is believed to have had a population of 20,000 people. Eventually the Nabataean Kingdom became a client state of Rome, and in 106 AD fell to the Romans.

Answer: Babylon

The Amorites came to power in ancient Mesopotamia about 1850 BC and established their capital at Babylon. The city became so wealthy and important that eventually the entire area around it became known as Babylonia for a time. Its power, however, was short-lived; the city fell after a period of decline that began after the death of the great lawgiver, Hammurabi in 1750 BC, and fell to the invading Kassites in 1555 BC.

The Chaldeans, later invaders to the area, eventually rebuilt the city as their capital and created a showcase that included the Ishtar Gate and Hanging Gardens over 900 years later.

Answer: Saro-guk

From 57 BC-935 AD the Kingdom of Silla ruled about 67% of the Korean Peninsula. At the height of its power, its capital, Saro-guk, boasted a population of one million people, and is believed to have been the fourth largest city in the world at the time.

The city was a cultural center that attracted the likes of Seol Chong, a notable scholar who began working out the written Korean language, and Kim Yusin, a general known for his success in helping to unite the Korean Peninsula. The name of the city was changed to Gyeongju by the next ruling family.