Cairo may be Egypt's current capital city but it is not the country's first nor its only. The capital of Egypt has changed 16 times since Upper and Lower Egypt were united by the pharaoh Narmer, also known as Menes, in 3100 BC. All seventeen Egyptian capitals are noteworthy but four are of particular interest today. Did you know that:

• Memphis was the first capital of ancient Egypt and served as the country's administrative center for more than 900 years. While little remains of this ancient Egyptian capital the size of its still-standing necropolis stretching 35 kilometers from Dashur to the Great Pyramids of Giza suggests that Memphis was once truly magnificent.
• Thebes, now called Luxor, was Egypt's capital twice. But more importantly, Thebes was the country's ceremonial capital throughout pharaonic times. The city's well-preserved monuments are one of the world's greatest living history books.
• Alexandria, Egypt's second largest city and the country's largest seaport, was the capital of Egypt from 332 BC to 641 AD. Founded by Alexander the Great and built by Ptolemy, it was Cleopatra that secured this Egyptian capital's place in history. Under her rule, Egypt rivaled Rome.
• Cairo or Al-Qahira, as the city is officially called, may be near the Great Pyramids of Giza but it was not built by the pharaohs. Cairo, originally a royal enclave, was established by the Fatimids in 949 AD nearly 1000 years after Cleopatra's death. And while Cairo may not have the same opulence as the country's earlier capitals it was once one of the world's most important centers of trade.