Arabic City Name Generator
Capitals, caravan cities, and ports of the Arab world
Generate Arabic city names that sound like they belong on a real map: ancient capitals like Kufa and Kairouan, port cities like Yanbu and Essaouira, descriptive names built from Madinat, Ras, Bab, and Qasr, and original cities built on the same patterns for fantasy worlds, novels, and games.
About Arabic city names
Arabic city names fall into a few recognisable families, and knowing them lets you invent a city that sounds centuries old. The oldest names are single words that predate Arabic itself, inherited from Aramaic, Berber, Coptic, or South Arabian: Dimashq, Halab, Tarim, Tozeur, Fez. Then come descriptive names: Madinat (city of), Ras (headland), Bab (gate), Burj (tower), Qasr (palace or fort), Qal'at (citadel), Hisn (fortress), Marsa and Mina (anchorage, port), Jazirat (island). The article al- follows them and usually carries a colour, a feature, or a founder: Madinat al-Zahra, Ras al-Khaimah, Qasr al-Hayr, Al-Khobar.
Region shows in spelling. The Maghreb romanises through French, so Ouarzazate and Chefchaouen rather than Warzazat and Shafshawan, and Berber roots give Tizi, Tin, and Ait. Egypt adds its own prefixes (Kom, Mit, Nag, Kafr), the Levant keeps Aramaic shapes (Tartus, Safita, Maarat), and the Gulf favours short coastal names like Ruwais, Mirfa, and Yanbu. Cities founded by caliphs and emirs often carry dynastic names ending in -iya: Mansuriya, Rashidiya, Nasiriya.
This list mixes real cities from every Arab country with original names assembled from the same parts, so you can drop one onto a fantasy map or use it as a model for your own.
How to choose Arabic city names
- Match the prefix to the setting: a Gulf trading port should be a Marsa, Mina, or Ras; a mountain stronghold a Hisn, Qal'at, or Jabal; a planned royal capital a Madinat al-Something.
- Use one transliteration style per region of your map. French-style Maghrebi spellings (ou, ch, dj) next to Gulf spellings (w, sh, j) read as two different cultures, which is great for borders and confusing otherwise.
- Old capitals work best as single words with no prefix (Kufa, Zabid, Sijilmasa). Save the descriptive Madinat and Qasr names for newer, founded cities.
- If you invent a name, change only the second element of a real pattern: Ras al-Khaimah is real, Ras al-Nur is not, and both sound equally plausible.
- Decide whether to keep the al- article and stick to it: Al-Hofuf or Hofuf, Ras al-Khaimah or Ras Khaimah. Both are correct, but a consistent style looks like a real atlas.
Frequently asked questions
What do the common prefixes in Arabic city names mean?
Madinat is city, Ras is headland or cape, Bab is gate, Burj is tower, Qasr is palace or fort, Qal'at is citadel, Hisn is fortress, Marsa and Mina are anchorage and port, Jazirat is island, Ain is spring, Bir is well, and Umm or Abu marks a place by its mother or father of some feature.
Are these real cities or invented?
Most are real cities, large and small, from the Gulf, Iraq, the Levant, Egypt, Sudan, Yemen, and the Maghreb, including the Arabic names of historic cities in Spain like Qurtuba and Gharnata. A smaller set of original names is built from the same elements and is safe to use for fictional places.
Why do some cities look French and others English?
Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia romanise Arabic through French, so ou stands for the w or u sound and ch for sh. The Levant, Iraq, Egypt, and the Gulf use English-style spellings. Pick one system for each fictional region and it will feel consistent.
Can I use these for a fantasy desert city?
Yes. Single-word names like Tarim or Zabid feel ancient and local, while descriptive names like Qasr al-Sahra or Madinat al-Qamar feel like founded cities. For a fantasy setting, pick a real name as a model and swap the second element for your own word.
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All 500 Arabic city names
A: 77 names
- Abha
- Abu Arish
- Abu Dhabi
- Abu Kamal
- Abu Qir
- Acre
- Aden
- Adrar
- Agadir
- Ahmadi
- Ain Beida
- Ain Defla
- Ain Draham
- Ain Oussera
- Ain Sefra
- Ain Sokhna
- Ain Temouchent
- Ajdabiya
- Ajloun
- Ajman
- Al Hoceima
- Al-Ain
- Al-Bab
- Al-Baha
- Al-Bayda
- Al-Bukamal
- Al-Dawadimi
- Al-Ghaydah
- Al-Hamra
- Al-Hasakah
- Al-Jawf
- Al-Khadra
- Al-Khafji
- Al-Kharj
- Al-Khor
- Al-Lith
- Al-Mahmudiya
- Al-Mansura
A, continued
- Al-Marj
- Al-Mayadin
- Al-Mubarraz
- Al-Nabk
- Al-Qadisiya
- Al-Qamishli
- Al-Qantara
- Al-Quds
- Al-Qunfudhah
- Al-Rashidiya
- Al-Rayyan
- Al-Safra
- Al-Sawda
- Al-Sukhnah
- Al-Sulaymaniyah
- Al-Ula
- Al-Wajh
- Al-Wakrah
- Al-Zabadani
- Al-Zulfi
- Aleppo
- Alexandria
- Algiers
- Amarah
- Amman
- Amran
- Anbar
- Anjar
- Annaba
- Aqaba
- Arar
- Arish
- As-Salt
- Asilah
- Aswan
- Asyut
- Atar
- Atbara
- Azrou
B: 39 names
- Baalbek
- Bab al-Rih
- Baghdad
- Bahla
- Balad
- Balansiya
- Banha
- Bani Mazar
- Bani Walid
- Bani Yas
- Baqubah
- Basra
- Batna
- Batroun
- Bayda
- Bayt al-Faqih
- Bayt Jala
- Bayt Sahur
- Bechar
- Beirut
- Beja
- Bejaia
- Benghazi
- Beni Mellal
- Beni Suef
- Berbera
- Bethlehem
- Bint Jbeil
- Bir Zeit
- Bisha
- Biskra
- Bizerte
- Blida
- Bosaso
- Bosra
- Buraidah
- Buraimi
- Burj al-Nujum
- Byblos
C: 5 names
- Cairo
- Casablanca
- Chefchaouen
- Chinguetti
- Constantine
D: 31 names
- Dahab
- Dakhla
- Damanhur
- Damascus
- Damietta
- Dammam
- Dar al-Bayda
- Dar al-Rimal
- Dar al-Salam
- Dar Bouazza
- Dar Chaabane
- Daraa
- Deir al-Balah
- Deir al-Qamar
- Deir ez-Zor
- Deir Hanna
- Derna
- Dhahran
- Dhamar
- Dibba
- Diwaniyah
- Djelfa
- Djibouti
- Doha
- Dohuk
- Dongola
- Douz
- Dubai
- Dukhan
- Dumat al-Jandal
- Duqm
E: 9 names
- Edfu
- El Fasher
- El Jadida
- El Obeid
- El Oued
- Erbil
- Errachidia
- Esna
- Essaouira
F: 6 names
- Fahaheel
- Fallujah
- Fayoum
- Fez
- Figuig
- Fujairah
G: 10 names
- Gabes
- Gafsa
- Gaza
- Ghadames
- Ghardaia
- Gharnata
- Gharyan
- Ghat
- Giza
- Guelmim
H: 20 names
- Haditha
- Haifa
- Hail
- Hajjah
- Hama
- Hamad Town
- Hammamet
- Hargeisa
- Hawalli
- Hebron
- Helwan
- Hillah
- Hisn al-Akrad
- Hisn al-Bahr
- Hisn al-Ghurab
- Hodeidah
- Hofuf
- Homs
- Houmt Souk
- Hurghada
I: 8 names
- Ibb
- Ibri
- Idlib
- Ifrane
- Irbid
- Isa Town
- Ishbiliya
- Ismailia
J: 15 names
- Jabal Ali
- Jaffa
- Jahra
- Jayyan
- Jazirat al-Lulu
- Jazirat al-Nakhil
- Jeddah
- Jendouba
- Jenin
- Jerash
- Jericho
- Jerusalem
- Jizan
- Jounieh
- Jubail
K: 38 names
- Kafr al-Dawwar
- Kafr al-Zayyat
- Kafr El Sheikh
- Kafr Kanna
- Kafr Qasim
- Kairouan
- Kalba
- Karak
- Karbala
- Kasbah Tadla
- Kassala
- Kasserine
- Kebili
- Kenitra
- Khamis Mushait
- Khan Yunis
- Khanaqin
- Kharga
- Khartoum
- Khasab
- Khaybar
- Khirbet al-Mafjar
- Khobar
- Khoms
- Khor Fakkan
- Khouribga
- Kiffa
- Kirkuk
- Kismayo
- Kom Ombo
- Kosti
- Ksar el-Kebir
- Ksar es-Seghir
- Ksar Ghilane
- Ksar Ouled Soltane
- Kufa
- Kut
- Kuwait City
L: 5 names
- Laayoune
- Laghouat
- Larache
- Latakia
- Luxor
M: 59 names
- Ma'an
- Madaba
- Madinat al-Bahr
- Madinat al-Fajr
- Madinat al-Hikma
- Madinat al-Jabal
- Madinat al-Nakhil
- Madinat al-Nur
- Madinat al-Qamar
- Madinat al-Rih
- Madinat al-Rimal
- Madinat al-Salam
- Madinat al-Ward
- Madinat al-Zahra
- Madinat Badr
- Madinat Hamad
- Madinat Isa
- Madinat Khalifa
- Madinat Nasr
- Madinat Zayed
- Mafraq
- Mahdia
- Malaqa
- Manama
- Manbij
- Mansoura
- Marib
- Mariya
- Marrakesh
- Marsa al-Nujum
- Marsa Alam
- Marsa Matruh
- Mascara
- Masyaf
- Mecca
- Medea
- Medenine
- Medina
- Medinat Sultan
- Meknes
- Mesaieed
- Mina al-Ahmadi
- Mina al-Fahal
- Mina Salman
- Mina Zayed
- Minya
- Mirfa
- Misrata
- Mit Ghamr
- Mocha
- Mogadishu
- Monastir
- Mostaganem
- Mosul
- Muharraq
- Mukalla
- Mursiya
- Murzuq
- Muscat
N: 14 names
- Nabatieh
- Nabeul
- Nablus
- Nador
- Nag Hammadi
- Najaf
- Najran
- Nasiriyah
- Nazareth
- Nizwa
- Nouadhibou
- Nouakchott
- Nuweiba
- Nyala
O: 7 names
- Omdurman
- Oran
- Ouadane
- Oualata
- Ouargla
- Ouarzazate
- Oujda
P: 3 names
- Palmyra
- Port Said
- Port Sudan
Q: 20 names
- Qal'at al-Madiq
- Qal'at Bani Hammad
- Qal'at Najm
- Qal'at Salih
- Qal'at Sukkar
- Qalqilya
- Qalyub
- Qaryat al-Fajr
- Qaryat al-Ulya
- Qasr al-Azraq
- Qasr al-Farafra
- Qasr al-Hayr
- Qasr al-Sahra
- Qasr Ibrahim
- Qasr Libya
- Qatif
- Qena
- Qurayyat
- Qurtuba
- Quseir
R: 20 names
- Rabat
- Rabigh
- Rafah
- Ramadi
- Ramallah
- Ramtha
- Raqqa
- Ras al-Hadd
- Ras al-Khaimah
- Ras al-Nur
- Ras Gharib
- Ras Lanuf
- Ras Sudr
- Ras Tanura
- Riffa
- Riyadh
- Rosetta
- Rosso
- Rustaq
- Ruwais
S: 52 names
- Saada
- Sabha
- Sabratha
- Safaga
- Safed
- Safi
- Safita
- Saida
- Sakaka
- Salalah
- Salmiya
- Samail
- Samarra
- Samawah
- Sanaa
- Saraqusta
- Sefrou
- Seiyun
- Sennar
- Setif
- Settat
- Sfax
- Sharjah
- Sharm El Sheikh
- Shendi
- Shibam
- Shibin El Kom
- Shihr
- Sidi Barrani
- Sidi Bel Abbes
- Sidi Bouzid
- Sidi Ifni
- Sidi Okba
- Sidon
- Sijilmasa
- Sinjar
- Sirte
- Sitra
- Siwa
- Skikda
- Sohag
- Sohar
- Sousse
- Suakin
- Suez
- Suq Ahras
- Suq al-Arba'a
- Suq al-Arbaa al-Gharb
- Suq al-Khamis
- Suq al-Shuyukh
- Sur
- Suwayda
T: 35 names
- Tabuk
- Tadjoura
- Tafila
- Taif
- Taiz
- Tal Abyad
- Tal Afar
- Tal Tamr
- Tamanrasset
- Tamegroute
- Tangier
- Tanta
- Tarim
- Taroudant
- Tartus
- Tataouine
- Tayma
- Taza
- Tetouan
- Tiaret
- Tiberias
- Tikrit
- Timimoun
- Tindouf
- Tizi Ouzou
- Tiznit
- Tlemcen
- Tobruk
- Touggourt
- Tozeur
- Tripoli
- Tulaytula
- Tulkarm
- Tunis
- Tyre
U: 8 names
- Umm al-Fahm
- Umm al-Jimal
- Umm al-Nar
- Umm al-Quwain
- Umm Qais
- Umm Qasr
- Umm Salal
- Unaizah
W: 6 names
- Wad Madani
- Wadi al-Dawasir
- Wadi al-Natrun
- Wadi Halfa
- Wadi Musa
- Wadi Rum
Y: 1 name
- Yanbu