What’s in a name? For some African towns and cities, a whole lot went into what they are called today.
Africa having the unique history that it does means that the continent is a potpourri of ideas and cultures. Languages, identities and ways of life have literally been made up through slavery, colonization and whatever afterward.
There are many things that go into choosing a capital city – it is, after all, the seat of administration.
It comes as no surprise then that Africa’s capital cities have some of the more wonderful stories than the rest of the cities in a country. They were chosen for these very stories.
As follows are 10 of some famous capital cities in Africa and the stories and meanings behind their founding.
Cairo
Cairo comes from the Arabic Al-Qahirah which means “The Conqueror” or “The Victorious One”. But the name also derives from the Arabic reference for the planet of Mars an-Najm al-Qāhir, “the Conquering Star”.
The astronomical symbolism here is also compared to the city’s founder, the Fatimid caliph Al-Mui’zz, whose coming saw the triumph that secured the land in the 9th century.
Addis Ababa
Although the area that would be called Addis Ababa was already of massive significance to the Ethiopian kingdom since the 15th century, “Addis Ababa” was created in the 19th century.
Emperor Menelik II and his wife Taytu Betul created the city in order that they will administer their kingdom from there. The city’s name means “new flower” in Amharic.
N’Djamena
Chad’s capital city means “place of rest”. In fact, the area called N’Djamena used to be called Fort Lamy, founded by the French 120 years ago.
Fort Lamy was a trading city and administrative town for the French colonizers. But in 1973, the city’s name was changed into N’Djamena, with then-president Francois Tombalbaye borrowing the name from a small nearby village.
Abuja
Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, was a name taken in the early 20th century from a small town that is now in the greater Abuja area. It was chosen to be Nigeria’s capital city in 1976.
Unlike a number of other cities on this list, Abuja had no prior history of significance before Nigeria’s independence. The city’s elevation was made possible by investments after 1976.
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city of the West African country of Senegal. The city was founded in 1795 by the ethnic Lebou people who called it Ndakaaru.
It was the French who corrupted the original name of the town when they started using the area as a military post in 1857. With time, Dakar gained significance as the preferred residential and commercial town of foreigners.
Accra
Accra is etymologically owed to the local Akan word nkran which is the word for all types of ants. It is not known if the Akan, the largest ethnic group in the country were referring to anthills in the area or the name was in reference to the Ga, the main ethnic group that populates modern Accra.
But Accra was founded around the 15th century and gained its significance through its usefulness to the British traders and later, colonizers. It has been the seat of any government in Ghana (Gold Coast, formerly) since 1877.
Nouakchott
Mauritania’s capital city is one of the largest cities in the country. It was founded by Berbers over 300 years ago as a small fishing village.
Nouakchott is taken from the Berber Nawākšūṭ, which means “place of the winds”. As a modern capital city, construction of the area we know now began in 1958 when Mauritania was looking for capital city before independence in 1960.
Rabat
The construction of the citadel that would give Rabat its preeminent status began in 1150 by the Almohad Caliphate’s Abdel Mu’min. Rabat is derived from the Arabic ribat, meaning “stronghold”.
Rabat has always been special to Morocco, save for a short time when the country’s city of administration was taken to Fes. But this was reversed in 1912 and Rabat has been Morocco’s capital city since.
Nairobi
The beginning of the modern city of Nairobi can be traced to the 1890s when the British decided to design the first town layout for a small town that was just a railway depot.
Nairobi translates into “cool waters” in the local Maasai language. By the end of the First World War, Kenya’s capital city had begun to show promise of being the modern city it is today.
Pretoria
Pretoria, South Africa’s legislative capital, was founded in 1855 by Marthinus Pretorius, one of the leaders of the Afrikaner groups involved in what is called the Great Trek.
Pretorius named the city after his family name and in honor of his father, Andries. Throughout its 165-year history, Pretoria has been groomed to be the seat of a South African government.
