Ancient civilizations left for their descendants many traces of their existence, whole cities that preserve the history and culture of the peoples who lived in them, and are the most ancient cities for modern times a great historical heritage.
Over the course of many centuries, cities have been repeatedly conquered, destroyed and rebuilt, each city has experienced great rulers, heyday and decline, culture and religion of various peoples. Unfortunately, many powerful cities were destroyed to the ground, or only their ruins have survived to our times.
Cities that have been continuously inhabited since prehistoric times and still exist today have survived to this day. Scientists still cannot agree on which city is the most ancient of the now preserved, fortunately, no matter how it really is, there are plenty of such objects of dispute, it is already incredible that these cities were built centuries before our era and remain not subject to time.
Aleppo (about 8000 years old)
The largest and most influential city in Ancient Syria, it also claims to be the oldest city. Ancient Aleppo was of great importance in the trading world, since the Silk Road passed through the city, the city supplied the entire East with luxurious fabrics.
The architectural styles of the city, as in almost all ancient cities, are mixed due to the change of cultures and peoples who have inhabited the city over the centuries. Traces of the dominance of Christian and Muslim culture, European and Eastern styles of buildings have been preserved here. Today, ancient temples, mosques, citadels, baths and oriental markets are combined with modern centers, hotels and restaurants. Aleppo is gradually reviving, leaving intact the monuments of antiquity, and can rightfully be considered one of the central places of Islamic culture.
Promotional video:
Damascus (about 8,000 years old)
The capital of modern Syria is among the most ancient cities and the most ancient capital of those currently operating. It is believed that here on Mount Cassion Cain killed Abel, the first structure after the Flood, the Damascus Wall was built. In Damascus, the Apostle Paul was baptized and here in one of the churches the head of John the Baptist is kept. Damascus is very rich in historical sights, Muslim mosques, tombs of sultans, oriental markets along with Orthodox cathedrals and churches make the city one of the most unique and interesting places on earth and the center of Arab culture.
Thebes (4000 years)
Nowadays Luxor and Karnak are one of the most visited places by tourists, thanks to their architectural monuments, remnants of the greatness of the ancient capital.
Thebes became the capital of ancient Egypt from the 16th century BC. during the period when Egypt reached world power. Thebes was the center of worship of the sun god Amun, in whose honor majestic temples were erected, the incredible size of the temple of Amun-Ra, which could have accommodated several huge European cathedrals. It is this period that is famous for the dawn of Egyptian culture and the construction of magnificent temples, magnificent tombs of the pharaohs, giant sculptures and tombs.
In the 6th century BC, Egypt, conquered by the Persians, still remained the richest satrapy of their empire. Thebes remained the center of the religion of Egypt for a long time. Under Alexander the Great, it regained independence for a while, and new temples continued to be built until the 1st century. BC BC when the city was destroyed by the descendants of Alexander.
Byblos (about 6,000 years old)
One of the main cities of ancient Phenicia, the largest port and trade center of the ancient world. He was famous for the papyrus trade, which came from Egypt and was sold to Greece. As a result of the conquests, ruins remained of the ancient city, but the city (on the site of Bybla now Jebeil) continues to be restored and live near the capital of Lebanon.
Sidon (c.3,500 years old)
Another major Phoenician city, now the Lebanese city of Sayda, was an important trading center of the ancient world. Sidon is mentioned in the scriptures, Jesus and Saint Paul visited him. Sidon, like other ancient cities, suffered greatly from the conquerors, but many sights left by the Egyptians, Romans, Arabs and Turks have survived.
Varanasi (about 7000 years old)
The oldest city in India and also one of the most ancient cities. Varanasi or Banares for the Hindus is like the Vatican for Catholics, a holy place, the center of the Earth. The city was founded by the god Shiva 5 thousand years ago, therefore it is considered the sacred city of Hinduism and a place of pilgrimage in India, where the ritual of ablution is performed in the sacred river Ganges, believing that water purifies the soul, washing away all sins. Varanasi is a city of thousands of temples, ancient temples were badly destroyed by Muslims, mosques were built on their ruins, but as a result of the earthquake they were almost destroyed, and rebuilt Buddhist temples returned to their place. In religion and culture, a special place is occupied by a series of stone steps along the banks of the Ganges - ghats intended for bathing the living and for cremating the dead, two of the most important rituals in the religion of Hindus, no matter how wild it sounds,rituals and holidays of Shiva worship are incredibly colorful and spectacular. Varanasi is exactly the place where you can learn what real India is.
Lisbon (3200 years old)
The capital of Portugal can be called the oldest city in Europe, where traces of Phoenician settlements have been found. The convenient location of the city contributed to the rapid growth and construction, subsequently, the conquests by the Roman Empire, Muslims, numerous wars and, in the end, a large earthquake destroyed the city to its foundations. By the end of the 18th century, the city was revived, only ruins remained from ancient Lisbon, but magnificent cathedrals, luxurious imperial palaces, picturesque pavements, the main attractions of modern Lisbon, were built.
Hades (Cadiz) (3000 years old)
The Spanish city of Cadiz also claims to be the oldest city in Europe. Built by the Phoenicians, then under the rule of the Roman Empire, Arabs, Castile, Visigoths, French, the old city keeps many monuments of its centuries-old history. Cadiz in the era of medieval discoveries served as the main point of departure for expeditions to America. It was called "the end of the world" because of its location on a remote peninsula of the European continent stretching into the Atlantic Ocean.
Susa (about 6,000 years old)
The history of Susa begins with the ancient civilization of the Sumerians. In the most ancient times, Susa was already known as the capital of Elam, the Persian Empire, then one of the capitals of the Parthian kingdom. The city was first burnt down by the Assyrians in 668 BC, rebuilt over a millennium, then destroyed by Muslims in 638 and finally destroyed by the Mongols in 1218. Now it is a small Iranian city, in which only ruins from the ancient era have remained, the tomb of the prophet Daniel is of particular value, and the ziggurat built by the Sumerians is considered the most ancient heritage of mankind.
Xi'an (3100 years old)
Xi'an is one of the ancient cities in the world, it is the cradle of ancient Chinese civilization, was the capital of ancient China for 13 dynasties, trade caravans from the West flocked here along the Great Silk Road. All the city's treasures, acquired over the millennia, are surrounded by a wall, which is considered the best-preserved fortification in the world. The main historical value, of course, is the Terracotta Army, the emperor's multinational army of more than 8 thousand full-length terracotta statues, all the details of weapons, clothing and faces are made with extraordinary precision and faces are never repeated.
Plovdiv (about 8000 years old)
According to some scholars, Plovdiv is the oldest city in Bulgaria. Plovdiv reached its dawn during the Roman Empire and was an important point connecting the Balkans with the world. In the 6th century, the city fell under the rule of the Slavs, Byzantium, then the Ottoman Empire, which remained under their control for 500 years. Accordingly, each civilization left its mark on the history of Plovdiv, and now in the city on three hills you can admire ancient buildings, basilicas, amphitheaters, and Turkish mosques and Christian cathedrals, the Roman amphitheater of the 2nd century is still operating.
Jerusalem (about 6,000 years old)
Jerusalem is not just one of the oldest cities, it is a city of three religions, the center of the religious world, a place of world pilgrimage for Jews, Christians and Muslims. But before becoming a great city, Jerusalem, like all ancient cities, experienced many conquests, destruction and transformations. The city, which during its history was under the rule of almost all ancient civilizations, kingdoms and empires, absorbed their culture, united people of all nationalities in one sacred place. Jerusalem is one huge attraction, where the main religious shrines, places of importance for believers, valuable historical monuments that will be difficult to study in a lifetime are collected.
Jericho (9,000 years old)
The Palestinian city of Jericho has been continuously inhabited since the 9th millennium BC, therefore it can rightfully be considered the oldest city in the world. After forty years of wandering in the wilderness, the Israelites captured Jericho. The city developed, over time became strategically important for the whole East, since it was located at the intersection of trade routes. Many times the city is mentioned in the Bible, the Jewish community existed in it from time immemorial and now the city remains one of the religious centers. Once Jericho was presented to Cleopatra as a valuable gift, unique crops and spices were grown here, it was the largest oasis of fresh water. Crusades and conquests severely destroyed the city, leaving only ruins as attractions.
Jericho is now not recommended to visit due to the difficult situation in Palestine.
Yerevan (2796 years old)
The inscriptions on stone slabs, found during the excavations of the city, testify to the very ancient origin of the city of Erebuni, in the kingdom of Urartu, the remains of the Urartu fortress are one of the main attractions of Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. Biblical legends say that it was on this land, on Mount Ararat, that Noah found refuge. The city was famous in the ancient world, during the era of the Persian Empire it was the center of one of its satrapies. At the beginning of the first millennium, Christians appeared here, then Muslims, Christian and Muslim architecture are closely intertwined. The Soviet era completely changed the appearance of the historical city, but the atmosphere of centuries-old antiquity has been preserved.
***
Ancient cities are not limited to this list. Fortunately, such pearls of the ancient world as Rome and Athens have survived to this day, representatives of great periods in the history of mankind, whose property has no value, but they were created a little later to be considered the oldest cities on the planet.
Marina Pod