WI: A Different Umayyad Capital

What if, instead of Damascus, the Umayyads chose a different city to be the capital of the Caliphate?

What would be the effects of one of the following city's being the capital instead?

A) Jerusalem

B) Alexandria

C) Ctesiphon

D) Your choice
 
I don't think they would have used any of the ones listed.

First, Umayyad Caliphate was heavily Arab-based. A lot. The importance of Arabic/Arabized population is critical.

Jerusalem (that didn't have the religious importance it gained later, mostly because of Crusades) and Alexandria were cities with not only an huge majority of Christian population( as Damascus, arguably) but also cities with little Arab/Arabized population or even holdings (Alexandria having surrendered, they kept many part of the city, at least in a first time).
In case of Damascus being taken, or not available...Maybe Alexandria could do it, but I doubt it.

For Ctesiphon, seeing how the city was burned to the ground during Islamic Conquest, I doubt you have enough to make it a capital.

D) Your choice
If I had to choose, I would say either one of the old capitals : Mecca, Medina or Kufa.

But really Damascus was particularly interesting for Umayyads : having even before their accession to caliphate title large holdings in this city (dating from the conquest) they could seat there without being too much challanged in their own capital.
Besides, the relative central situation of the city to control what happened in the empire, its wealth, its huge Arabic/Arabized population...It was quite a good spot for them.

Admittedly, Late Umayyads regularly used other cities as residences, but I don't think they could be really considered as capitals being more close to residences Late Roman Emperors used to better control the borders as most of them being in Mesopotamia.
Maybe a city as Rusafa could begin to be a Baghdad analogue, but I don't think Umayyads would have the time to develop it enough.

So, Mecca, Medina, Kufa, Rusafa seems the best alternatives while noticing Damascus is still a most realistic choice, at least during the 2/3 of the Umayyad Caliphate.
 
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