South Asia's capitals reflect a mixture of colonial heritage, planned design, and ancient tradition. New Delhi, India's capital, is a planned city designed by British architects Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker during the colonial era and serves as the seat of all three branches of the Indian government. Islamabad, Pakistan's capital, is a planned city built in the 1960s to replace Karachi and sits at the foot of the Margalla Hills. Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital, is one of the most densely populated cities in the world, lying on the banks of the Buriganga River and serving as a major center of the garment industry. Sri Lanka has two distinct capitals: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte as the legislative capital and Colombo as the commercial capital and largest city. Kathmandu, Nepal's capital, lies in a valley surrounded by four major mountains and serves as the gateway for trekkers heading to the Himalayas and Mount Everest.
The Middle East features capitals that span ancient history and modern wealth. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's capital, sits in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau and is one of the wealthiest cities in the region. Tehran, Iran's capital, is the largest city in Western Asia, located at the foot of the Alborz Mountains with over 9 million residents. Baghdad, Iraq's capital, lies on the Tigris River and was once the center of the Islamic Golden Age as the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate. Jerusalem is designated by Israel as its capital, though this is internationally disputed; the city is holy to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Ankara, Turkey's capital in central Anatolia, replaced Istanbul in 1923 when the Republic of Turkey was founded.
Other Middle Eastern and Central Asian capitals round out the region. Amman, Jordan's capital, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, situated on a hilly area between the desert and the Jordan Valley. Beirut, Lebanon's capital, lies on a peninsula along the eastern Mediterranean coast and is often called the "Paris of the Middle East." Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, is located on an island in the Persian Gulf and is the largest of the seven emirates, even though Dubai is more famous commercially. Doha, Qatar's capital, hosts more than 80% of the country's population and underwent rapid modernization, culminating in hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Muscat, Oman's capital, is a port city on the Gulf of Oman flanked by mountains and desert. In Central Asia, Astana became Kazakhstan's capital in 1997 when it was moved from Almaty and is known for its futuristic architecture, while Tashkent, Uzbekistan's capital, is the largest city in Central Asia, rebuilt after a devastating earthquake in 1966 and a historic stop on the Silk Road.