Cities have played an important role in human history. Since ancient times, they have served as trade, cultural and scientific centers.
Every year more and more cities appear, and the existing ones continue to grow both in size and in the number of their inhabitants. According to the latest sociological data, more than half of the world's population lives in cities.
In today's article we will tell you about the cities that at one time were the largest settlements on the planet.
Jericho (2000 inhabitants in 7000 BC)
This settlement on the territory of modern Palestine is fighting for the right to be considered the most ancient on the planet. Around 7000 BC. e. Jericho became a great city, the population of which reached 2 thousand. The close distance to the Jordan River allowed the townspeople to engage in agriculture.
In our time, Jericho is the capital of the Palestinian province of the same name. The population of the city is about 20 thousand inhabitants.
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Uruk (4,000 inhabitants in 3,500 BC)
The ancient city-state in the 4th millennium became the largest settlement not only in southern Mesopotamia, but in the whole world. The proximity to the Euphrates River allowed Uruk not only to increase the number of inhabitants, but also to develop writing, crafts and trade. The city is also referred to in the Bible as Erech, a settlement founded by King Nimrod.
Unfortunately, only ruins have survived from the once majestic Uruk to this day. Its excavations are very difficult due to the fact that new ones were built on top of old buildings for many centuries.
Marie (50,000 inhabitants in 2400 BC)
The city-state of Mari was a powerful trading center in Mesopotamia. It was here that traders from all over the region (the territory of present-day Syria) came to buy the best agricultural products, stone and timber, as well as pottery. In our time, only ruins have remained from the city.
In the 20th century, during excavations, more than 25 thousand tablets were found with texts in Akkadian, which was spoken in Mari. Most of the entries turned out to be economic reports and documents, and some were personal letters.
Ur (100,000 inhabitants in 2100 BC)
At the end of the third millennium BC, the city-state of Ur in Mesopotamia was considered very rich and developed. A huge number of things made of precious metals and stones were kept here.
Due to a prolonged drought in about 500 BC. the inhabitants of Ur left the city. Over time, it turned into a sacred ruin, among which the dead were buried.
Yinxu (120,000 inhabitants in 1300 BC)
The ancient Chinese settlement, which was at one time the largest city on the planet, is famous for its archaeological discoveries. At the site where Yinxu used to be, tortoise shells with the earliest form of Chinese writing were found. In addition, local farmers sold these relics under the guise of healing dragon bones.
Babylon (100,000 inhabitants in 700 BC)
The ancient city with almost 4,000 years of history experienced its heyday around 700 BC. Unfortunately, endless wars almost completely destroyed it.
Many relics of Babylon are still found today, especially during the construction of large objects. Recently, the Iraqi authorities have had to fight looters who are destroying the ruins of the ancient city in search of treasures.
Carthage (500,000 inhabitants by 300 BC)
The city-state of Carthage, located in modern Tunisia, was previously known for its grandeur and beauty. But he is also known for his terrible find - about 20 thousand urns with the remains of babies and children were found here. It is believed that they were killed by their parents due to the lack of food in the city.
Unfortunately, all information about this was destroyed by the Romans after the third Punic War. Now, on the site of a huge city, there is a 20,000-strong settlement.
Rome (1,200,000 inhabitants in 200 AD)
From a small village founded in the 9th century BC. e., by the beginning of the new era, Rome turned into a huge metropolis, the influence of which extended almost to the entire world discovered at that time.
But the happiness did not last long: by 273 no more than 500 thousand inhabitants lived here. Over time, the population of the modern capital of Italy has grown again - now almost 3 million people live in Rome.
Constantinople (600,000 inhabitants in 600)
Constantinople was very often attacked - from the west it was regularly attacked by the Avars and Bulgarians, and from the east by the Persians. Despite this, the number of inhabitants grew, and soon Constantinople became the largest city not only in the region, but throughout the world.
Over the centuries, the city has changed many rulers and experienced either decline or prosperity. Now in its place is Istanbul, whose population exceeds 13 million.
Baghdad (900,000 inhabitants in 900) During the Golden Age of Islam, Baghdad steadily developed and soon became a real trade and cultural center in the region. Western and Eastern cultural traditions and scientific views peacefully coexisted in it.
However, all this ended tragically in the XIII century with the Mongol invasion. Today, Baghdad, with its 6.5 million population, is the capital of Iraq, which has never been able to recover from long wars.
Kaifeng (1 million inhabitants in 1200)
Due to its favorable geographical location, Kaifeng has long been the capital of much of modern China. The city was surrounded by three rings of high walls, but this did not save it from the Mongol hordes - it was captured and destroyed in 1234. It was later restored. Modern Kaifeng is the 5 millionth metropolis in China.
Beijing (1 million inhabitants in 1500) In the middle of the 15th century, the authorities of a huge city faced a big problem: due to the constant increase in the number of inhabitants, more food was required. For these purposes, huge granaries were built, which made it possible to temporarily solve the problem of hunger. In addition, the inhabitants of Beijing cut down all the surrounding forests, and then began to mine coal in the neighboring mountains. This has led to major changes in the ecology of the region. The 22 millionth capital of China is fighting against them even now.
Ayutthaya (1 million inhabitants in 1700)
The city, in which, according to legend, more than a million inhabitants lived 300 years ago, for a long time was the capital of Thailand. But in 1767 Ayutthaya was captured by Burmese troops and almost completely destroyed.
Today, the remains of the city's temples are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and are very popular with tourists. As for the population, now Ayutthaya is home to about 50 thousand people.
London (1.34 million inhabitants in 1825)
At a time when the British Empire conquered many territories around the world, bringing immense wealth to a small portion of its population, the British capital, London, consisted of virtually nothing but slums.
The constant growth in the number of inhabitants led not only to epidemics, but also to an increase in crime, which led to the emergence of the famous London police. The city was the largest on the planet until the outbreak of World War I in 1914.
New York (7.77 million inhabitants in 1925)
With the annexation of the Bronx as the fifth borough, New York City has taken on its present size. The city began to build skyscrapers and a large number of housing. Even the Great Depression in 1929 had practically no effect on population growth.
Tokyo (20.5 million inhabitants in 1968)
It seemed that after the economic catastrophe that Japan experienced as a result of the defeat in World War II, there could be no talk of a demographic surge. However, after the Japanese economic miracle, the country not only recovered in a short time, but also became very successful.
This also influenced the Japanese capital Tokyo, whose population grew exponentially. In 1968, the city became the record holder for the number of inhabitants (20.5 million). He remains in the lead today (32.5 million).
Inga Kostritsyna