Asian capital meaning place of the gods

In March I wrote about a world map where the country names had been translated to their original literal meanings, as far as anyone could be sure. Language, after all, is a complex and confusing thing that grows, develops and morphs over time as dialects mix and meanings blend. I thought it would be fun to follow it up by delving a bit deeper and look at the cities within those countries who no doubt have been subject to the same whims of change and misinterpretation. Unsurprisingly, the results are just as interesting, out-there and weird. They tell stories of history and hidden meaning, of founders and conquerors, of emotions and natural wonders.

The city has been the religious and administrative capital of Tibet since the midth century. Bhrikuti is said to have converted him to Buddhism , which was also the faith attributed to his second wife Wencheng. A Tibetan tradition mentions that after Songtsen Gampo's death in C. Shakabpa believes that "those histories reporting the arrival of Chinese troops are not correct.

Varanasi, one of the world's oldest living cities, is rightly called the religious capital of India. Also known as Banaras or Benaras, this holy city is located in the southeastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India. It rests on the left bank of the holy river Ganga Ganges and is one of the seven sacred spots for Hindus.

This list covers English language national capital city names with their etymologies. Some of these include notes on indigenous names and their etymologies. Some of these etymologies are uncertain. The former capitals also have their etymologies listed in this article.