The history of the nicknames behind iconic African cities

Have you ever wondered how famous cities got their nicknames? Many cities have been given alternate names over the years, from New York’s ‘The Big Apple’, to Johannesburg’s ‘City of Gold’, where did these names come from? Jurys Inn have done their research and uncovered the history behind the alternative names to over 100 of the world’s most iconic cities, take a look at some for cities across Africa:

Rabat – The Washington of North America: This capital city is nicknamed the Washington of North Africa because of its wide boulevards, parks, monuments, embassies, and government buildings.
Khartoum – Triangular Capital: This nickname is thanks to the nearby Blue Nile River and the White Nile River that combine into the single Nile River, forming a triangular shape. The Nile River then flows northward into Egypt.
Antananarivo – City of Thousands: The capital of Madagascar, Antananarivo, is named the ‘City of Thousands’ in honour of the thousands of soldiers who guarded the city in the seventeenth century at the time of a Malagasy King named Andrianjaka.
Johannesburg – City of Gold: Johannesburg sits on the edge of the world’s largest known gold deposit. Gold was traded here for centuries before the area was first declared open for public digging in 1886.
Maputo – City of Acacias: Maputo is known as the City of Acacias due to many of its streets and avenues commonly being bordered by lush acacia trees.
Kusami – Garden city of West Africa: Thanks to its beautiful green areas, Ghana’s second largest city Kusami earnt the name of ‘Garden City of West Africa’ in which dates to the 1940s.

The study also features the history for cities across Europe, North & South America, Asia & Oceania and features maps that highlight the featured cities for each of the continents covered. See the full piece here: https://www.jurysinns.com/blog/posts/second-name-of-cities-uk-and-around-the-world