Where is the ancient city. The oldest city in the world: what is it? Jericho is the oldest city in the world

In the course of the development of civilization, people united their scattered dwellings. This is how cities were born. History erected great settlements and just as ruthlessly wiped them off the face of the Earth. Only a few cities have been able to go through the centuries, having endured all the blows of fate. The walls stood in the sun and rain, they saw how the ages came and went.

These cities became silent witnesses of how our civilization was reborn and fell into decay. Today, not all the great cities of the past continue to give shelter to people, many simply lie in ruins or have completely disappeared from the face of the Earth.

The British newspaper "The Guardian" has chosen the 15 most ancient cities in the world, each of which has its own unique architecture and unusual history. These places are so ancient history that dates can only be given approximate, historians are arguing around them. So where does a person live continuously the longest?

Jericho, Palestinian Territories. This settlement appeared here 11 thousand years ago. This is the oldest residential city in the world, which was repeatedly mentioned in the Bible. Jericho is also known in ancient texts as the "city of palm trees". Archaeologists have found here the remains of 20 successive settlements, which made it possible to determine the venerable age of the city. The city is located near the Jordan River, on the western bank. Even today, about 20 thousand people live here. And the ruins of ancient Jericho are located west of the center of the modern city. Archaeologists have been able to find here the remains of a large tower from the pre-ceramic Neolithic period (8400-7300 BC). Jericho keeps burials of the Chalcolithic period, city walls from the Bronze Age. Perhaps it was they who fell from the loud trumpets of the Israelites, giving rise to the phrase "Jericho trumpets." In the city you can find the ruins of the winter palace-residence of King Herod the Great with swimming pools, baths, lavishly decorated halls. The mosaic on the floor of the synagogue dating back to the 5th-6th centuries has also been preserved here. And at the foot of the Tel-as-Sultan hill is the source of the prophet Elisha. Historians believe that the hills adjacent to Jericho hide many archaeological treasures comparable to the Valley of the Kings in Egypt.

Byblos, Lebanon. The settlement in this place is already about 7 thousand years old. The city of Gebal, mentioned in the Bible, was founded by the Phoenicians. His other name, Byblos (Byblos), he received from the Greeks. The fact is that the city supplied them with papyrus, which was called “byblos” in Greek. The city has been known since the 4th millennium BC. Byblos became famous for its temples of Baal, the cult of the god Adonis was born here. It was from here that it spread to the territory of Greece. The ancient Egyptians wrote that it was in this city that Isis found the body of Osiris in a wooden box. The main tourist attractions of the city are the ancient Phoenician temples, the temple of St. John the Baptist, built by the Crusaders in the XII century, the city castle and the remains of the city wall. Now here, 32 kilometers from Beirut, is the Arab city of Jbeil.

Aleppo, Syria. Archaeologists believe that people settled here in 4300 BC. Today this city is the most populated in Syria, the number of inhabitants in it is approaching 4 million. Previously, it was known under the names Halpe or Khalibon. For many centuries, Aleppo was the third largest city in the Ottoman Empire, second only to Constantinople and Cairo. The origin of the city's name is not entirely clear. Presumably "haleb" means copper or iron. The fact is that in ancient times there was a large center for their production. In Aramaic, "halaba" means "white", which is associated with the color of the soil in this area and the abundance of marble rocks. And Aleppo got its current name from the Italians, who visited here with the Crusades. Ancient Aleppo is evidenced by Hittite inscriptions, Mari inscriptions in the Euphrates, in central Anatolia and in the city of Ebla. These ancient texts speak of the city as an important military and commercial center. For the Hittites, Aleppo was of particular importance, as it was the center of worship for the weather god. Economically, the city has always been an important place. The Great Silk Road passed here. Aleppo has always been a tidbit for invaders - it belonged to the Greeks, Persians, Assyrians, Romans, Arabs, Turks and even the Mongols. It was here that the great Tamerlane ordered the erection of a tower of 20,000 skulls. With the opening of the Suez Canal, Aleppo's role as a trading center has become smaller. Currently, this city is experiencing a renaissance, it is one of the most beautiful places in the Middle East.

Damascus, Syria. Many believe. That Damascus is worthy of the title of the oldest city in the world. Although there is an opinion that people lived here 12 thousand years ago, another date of settlement looks more truthful - 4300 BC. The medieval Arab historian Ibn Asakir in XII claimed that after the Flood, the Damascus Wall was the first wall erected. He attributed the birth of the city to the 4th millennium BC. The first historical evidence of Damascus dates back to the 15th century BC. Then the city was under the rule of Egypt and its pharaohs. Later, Damascus was part of Assyria, the Neo-Babylonian kingdom, Persia, the empire of Alexander the Great, and after his death, it was part of the Hellenistic kingdom of the Seleucids. The heyday of the city fell on the era of the Arameans. They created a whole network of water channels in the city, which today are the basis of the modern water supply networks of Damascus. The urban agglomeration today has 2.5 million people. In 2008, Damascus was recognized as the cultural capital of the Arab world.

Susa, Iran. The settlement in this place is already 6200 years old. And the first traces of a man in Susa date back to 7000 BC. The city is located on the territory of the modern province of Khuzestan, in Iran. Susa entered the history as the capital of the ancient state of Elam. The Sumerians wrote about the city in their early documents. Thus, the works “Enmerkar and the Ruler of Aratta” say that Susa was dedicated to the deity Inanna, the patroness of Uruk. There are numerous references to the ancient city in the Old Testament, especially often its name is found in the Scriptures. The prophets Daniel and Nehemiah lived here during the Babylonian captivity in the 6th century BC, in the city Esther became a queen and saved from persecution by a Jew. The state of the Elamites ceased to exist with the victories of Ashurbanipal, Susa itself was plundered, which happened far from the first time. The son of Cyrus the Great made Susa the capital of the Persian kingdom. However, this state also ceased to exist, thanks to Alexander the Great. The city has lost its former significance. Muslims and Mongols later walked along Susa with destruction, as a result, life in it barely flickered. Today the city is called Shusha, about 65 thousand people live in it.

Faiyum, Egypt. This city has a history of 6 millennia. It is located southwest of Cairo, in the oasis of the same name, occupying part of Crocodilopolis. In this ancient place, the Egyptians worshiped the sacred Sebek, the crocodile god. The pharaohs of the 12th dynasty liked to visit Faiyum, then the city was called Shedit. This fact follows from the remains of funerary pyramids and temples found by Flinders Petrie. Faiyum was home to the famous Labyrinth described by Herodotus. Quite a lot of archaeological finds have been found in this area. But world fame went to the Fayum drawings. They were made using the technique of enacaustics and were funerary portraits from the time of Roman Egypt. Currently, the population of the city of El Faiyum is more than 300 thousand people.

Sidon, Lebanon. People founded their first settlement here in 4000 BC. Sidon is located 25 kilometers south of Beirut on the Mediterranean coast. This city was one of the most significant and oldest Phoenician cities. It was he who was the heart of that empire. IN X-IX centuries BC. Sidon was the largest trading center of that world. In the Bible, he was called "the firstborn of Canaan", the brother of the Amorite and the Hittite. It is believed that both Jesus and the apostle Paul visited Sidon. And in 333 BC. The city was captured by Alexander the Great. Today the city is called Saida and is inhabited by Shiite and Sunni Muslims. It is the third largest city in Lebanon with a population of 200,000 people.

Plovdiv, Bulgaria. This city also arose in 4000 BC. Today it is the second largest in Bulgaria and one of the oldest in Europe. Even Athens, Rome, Carthage and Constantinople are younger than Plovdiv. The Roman historian Ammian Marcellinus said that the Thracians gave the first name to this settlement - Evmolpiada. In 342 BC. the city was conquered by Philip II of Macedon, the father of the legendary conqueror. In honor of himself, the king named the settlement Philippopolis, while the Thracians pronounced this word as Pulpudeva. Since the 6th century, the city began to be controlled Slavic tribes. In 815, he became part of the First Bulgarian Kingdom under the name Pyldin. For the next few centuries, these lands changed hands from the Bulgarians to the Byzantines, until the Ottoman Turks captured it for a long time. Crusaders came to Plovdiv four times and plundered the city. Nowadays the city is an important cultural center. There are many ruins here that testify to rich history. The Roman aqueduct and amphitheater, as well as the Ottoman baths, stand out here. About 370 thousand people now live in Plovdiv.

Gaziantep, Turkey. This settlement appeared around 3650 BC. It is located in the south of Turkey, near the Syrian border. Gaziantep takes its history from the time of the Hittites. Until February 1921, the city was called Antep, and the Turkish parliament gave the prefix Gazi to the inhabitants for their merits during the battles for the country's independence. Today, more than 800 thousand people live here. Gaziantep is one of the most important ancient centers in the southeast of Anatolia. This city lies between the Mediterranean Sea and Mesopotamia. Here the roads between the south, north, west and east intersected, and the Great Silk Road passed. Until now, in Gaziantep you can find historical relics from the times of the Assyrians, the Hittites, the era of Alexander the Great. With the rise of the Ottoman Empire, the city also experienced prosperity.

Beirut, Lebanon. In Beirut, people began to live 3 thousand years before the birth of Christ. Today this city is the capital of Lebanon, the economic, cultural and administrative center of the country. And the Phoenicians founded Lebanon, choosing rocky land in the middle of the Mediterranean coast of the modern territory of Lebanon. It is believed that the name of the city comes from the word "birot", meaning "well". For a long time, Beirut remained in the background in the region, behind more significant neighbors - Tire and Sidon. It was not until the era of the Roman Empire that the city became influential. There was a famous legal school here, which developed the basic postulates of the Code of Justinian. Over time, this document will become the basis of the European system of law. In 635, the Arabs occupied Beirut, incorporating the city into the Arab Caliphate. In 1100, the Crusaders captured the city, and in 1516, the Turks. Until 1918, Beirut was part of the Ottoman Empire. In the last century, the city with a glorious history has become an important cultural, financial and intellectual center in the Eastern Mediterranean. And since 1941, Beirut has become the capital of a new independent state - the Lebanese Republic.

Jerusalem, Israel/Palestinian Territories. This great city without a doubt was founded in 2800 BC. Jerusalem was able to become both the spiritual center of the Jewish people and the third holy city of Islam. The city has a large number of important religious sites, including the Wailing Wall, the Dome of the Rock, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher al-Aqsa. It is not surprising that Jerusalem was constantly trying to conquer. As a result, the history of the city has 23 sieges, 52 attacks. It was captured 44 times and destroyed 2 times. The ancient city lies on the watershed between the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean, in the spurs of the Judean Mountains at an altitude of 650-840 meters above sea level. The first settlements in this area date back to the 4th millennium BC. In the Old Testament, Jerusalem is spoken of as the capital of the Jebusites. This population lived in Judea even before the Jews. It was they who founded the city, populating it initially. There is also a mention of Jerusalem on Egyptian figurines of the 20th-19th centuries BC. There, among the curses against hostile cities, Rushalimum was also mentioned. In the XI century BC. Jerusalem was occupied by the Jews, who proclaimed it the capital of the kingdom of Israel, and from the 10th century BC. - Jewish. After 400 years, the city was captured by Babylon, then it was ruled by the Persian Empire. Jerusalem changed owners many times - they were Romans, Arabs, Egyptians, Crusaders. From 1517 to 1917 the city was part of the Ottoman Empire, after which it came under the jurisdiction of Great Britain. Now Jerusalem with a population of 800 thousand people is the capital of Israel.

Tire, Lebanon. This city was founded in 2750 BC. Tire was a famous Phoenician city, a major trading center. The date of its foundation was named by Herodotus himself. And there was a settlement on the territory of modern Lebanon. In 332 B.C. Tire was taken by the troops of Alexander the Great, this required a seven-month siege. From 64 BC Tire became a Roman province. It is believed that the apostle Paul lived here for some time. In the Middle Ages, Tire was known as one of the most impregnable fortresses in the Middle East. It was in this city that Frederick Barbarossa, King of Germany and Holy Roman Emperor, was buried in 1190. Now, on the site of a great ancient settlement, there is a small town of Sur. It no longer has any special significance; trade began to be conducted through Beirut.

Erbil, Iraq. This settlement is already 4300 years old. It is located north of the Iraqi city of Kirkuk. Erbil is the capital of the Iraqi unrecognized state of Kurdistan. This city throughout its history belonged to different nations- Assyrians, Persians, Sassanids, Arabs and Turks. Archaeological studies have confirmed that people have lived in this area without a break for more than 6 thousand years. The most eloquent evidence of this is the hill of the Citadel. It is the remains of former settlements. There was a wall around it, which was created in pre-Islamic times. When Erbil was under the rule of the Persians, Greek sources called it Hawler or Arbela. The Royal Road passed through it, which went from the very center of the Persian center to the coast of the Aegean Sea. Erbil was also a transit point on the Great Silk Road. Until now, the ancient city citadel, 26 meters high, is visible from afar.

Kirkuk, Iraq. This city appeared in 2200 BC. It is located 250 kilometers north of Baghdad. Kirkuk is located on the site of the ancient Hurrian and Assyrian capital of Arrapha. The city had an important strategic position, so three empires fought for it at once - Babylon, Assyria and Media. It was they who shared control over Kirkuk for a long time. Even today, there are still ruins that are 4,000 years old. The modern city, thanks to its proximity to the richest field, has become the oil capital of Iraq. About a million people live here today.

Balkh, Afghanistan. This ancient city appeared around the 15th century BC. Balkh became the first large settlement that the Indo-Aryans created during their transition from the Amu Darya. This city became a large and traditional center of Zoroastrianism, it is believed that it was here that Zarathustra was born. In late antiquity, Balkh became an important center for the Hinayana. Historians said that in the 7th century there were more than a hundred Buddhist monasteries in the city, only 30 thousand monks lived in them alone. The largest temple was Navbahar, its name in Sanskrit means "new monastery". There was a huge Buddha statue there. In 645, the city was first captured by the Arabs. However, after the robbery, they left Balkh. In 715, the Arabs returned here, having already settled in the city for a long time. Further history Balkha knew the arrival of the Mongols and Timur, nevertheless, even Marco Polo, describing the city, called it "great and worthy." In the XVI-XIX centuries, the Persians, the Bukhara Khanate and the Afghans fought for Balkh. Bloody wars ended only with the transfer of the city under the authority of the Afghan Emir in 1850. Today this place is considered the center of the cotton industry, leather is well dressed here, getting "Persian sheepskin". And 77 thousand people live in the city.

The oldest cities in the world still live today. These settlements have passed, as they say, the test of time.

History can be surprisingly unpredictable, but some of its monuments have been unshakable for several thousand years. Before you is a list of the most ancient cities in the world that did not fall into decay and were not lost over the years, but were constantly inhabited by people. Find out which cities of the East, Europe and Asia are not only considered the oldest, but are still inhabited! You may also be wondering which civilization is considered the oldest.

The most ancient cities of East Asia

Although the Chinese civilization is rightfully considered one of the most ancient, the age of its oldest surviving cities is significantly inferior to the age of the first fortified settlements of the Near and Middle East. But even these figures cause awe in a person who has come face to face with the legacy of time.

Beijing

A country: China
Year of foundation: 1045 BC

The ancient name of the current capital of China is Ji. The city, founded in 1045 BC, was listed as the capital of the feudal principality of Yan for almost two thousand years, until in 938 AD. the Liao dynasty did not make it the second capital of Northern China. Beijing (it was also called Beijing and, later, Beiping) was the most important state center in the Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing eras, and retained this status after the formation of New China. By the way, it was in the vicinity of Beijing that the remains of Sinanthropus were found - the so-called "Beijing Man", whose age dates back to approximately 600 thousand years.

Sian

A country: China
Year of foundation: 1100 BC

For 3100 years, Xi'an (ancient names - Haodzin, Chang-An), the most ancient city of China from now inhabited, has been the capital of ten major dynasties. A major cultural and political center was also famous for the manufacture of bronze objects; some products have survived to this day and are now exhibited in local museums. In 907, the Tang Dynasty died out, after which the city slowly fell into decay. Subsequently, he played an important role in the development of state trade, but he never returned to his former greatness.

The oldest cities in the Middle East

The ancient Near East, namely the interfluve of the Tigris and Euphrates, is considered the cradle of human civilization. Mesopotamia is the largest ancient civilization, which, despite its greatness, could not resist the onslaught of centuries. But, for example, neighboring Egypt still pleases tourists with its ancient capital.

Balkh

A country: Afghanistan
Year of foundation: 1500 BC

This city, located on the territory of modern Afghanistan, is often called the cradle of three religions: Zoroastrianism, Judaism and Buddhism. Balkh is considered to be the birthplace of Zarathustra, the founder of Zoroastrianism - the most ancient religion world known to man.

Luxor

A country: Egypt
Year of foundation: 3200 BC

Approximately XXII-XX centuries BC. Luxor was the capital of Waset (the fourth nome of Ancient Egypt), then became the main city of the entire kingdom of Egypt and remained so until the 10th century BC. It is also known to historians under the Greek name of Thebes.

El Fayoum

A country: Egypt
Year of foundation: 3200 BC

Another ancient Egyptian city appeared on the world map in the 4th millennium BC. Faiyum is located southwest of Cairo, on the territory of the ancient Crocodilopolis. Such an unusual name is a settlement in honor of the cult of the sacred crocodile Petsuhos, which was worshiped by local residents. Now the city is quite modern, here you can visit large bazaars, mosques, baths, as well as the pyramids of Khawara and Lekhin.

The most ancient cities in Europe

Athens

A country: Greece
Year of foundation: 1400 BC

The exact date of the founding of Athens is unknown. Written sources show that the states ancient world knew about the existence of a settlement on the site of modern Athens as early as 9600 BC. However, the city itself, which is rightfully called the cradle of Greek culture, arose only in the middle of the 2nd millennium BC.

Agros

A country: Greece
Year of foundation: 2000 BC

The date of foundation of the city of Agros (Peloponness) is conventionally considered to be 2000 BC. - the first evidence of its existence found by archaeologists belongs to this period. Perhaps its history goes much deeper. According to the ancient Greek epic, Agros was adjacent to Mycenae and Tiryns, now in ruins.

Mantova

A country: Italy
Year of foundation: 2000 BC

Mantua is a small city in the Lombardy region, founded by the Etruscans and Gauls. For most of its history, Mantua was located on an island on the Mincio River. Subsequently, already in the Middle Ages, the inhabitants blocked the channel and turned the island into a peninsula. As a result, the city was surrounded by lakes on three sides. By the way, the ancient Roman poet Virgil was born in the vicinity of Mantua.

Plovdiv

A country: Bulgaria
Year of foundation: 6000 BC

The oldest city in Europe is located in a picturesque place in southern Bulgaria, on the coast of the Maritsa River. Like Rome, it was built on seven hills - three of them can be clearly distinguished today. Initially, Plovdiv was a small village called Tratsian, which later turned into a major center of the Roman Empire. Before becoming part of Bulgaria, Plovdiv was also under the rule of Byzantium and the Ottoman Empire. Modern Plovdiv is a flourishing city with a rich cultural and social life.

The oldest cities in the Middle East

bible

A country: Lebanon
Year of foundation: 5000 BC

Once on the site of modern Jbeil stood the ancient city of Byblos - the heart of all Mediterranean navigation, the largest exporter of papyrus to Hellas. In the sixth millennium BC, these places were chosen by nomadic tribes who hunted for fishing. After a couple of thousand years, the settlement, nicknamed by the inhabitants of Gubla, was overgrown with stone walls, and its inhabitants continued the traditions of their ancestors and turned the city into a prosperous harbor. In the III millennium BC. Gubla passed into the possession of the Phoenicians - the sea people were attracted by its convenient position and developed water infrastructure. In the second millennium BC, the city developed its own written language, which significantly increased its wealth, which was entirely dependent on trade. And a little later, he became the main exporter of papyrus to Greece. Papyrus in ancient Greek was known exactly as “byblos”, and the city, accordingly, began to be called the same.

Jericho

A country: Palestine
Year of foundation: 6800 BC

The most ancient city in the world is Jericho (meaning a settlement with fortified walls). Although the first human settlements arose here, on the west bank of the Jordan, as early as the 8th millennium BC. The powerful walls of the Jericho Tower still remind of those times. According to biblical legend, the walls of this city in ancient times fell from the sound of the trumpet of Joshua. During the excavations, which were closely engaged in the middle of the 20th century, archaeologists discovered as many as forty so-called "cultural layers" under these lands!

You can also find out about the most ancient city in Russia, its history and location on our website.
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Ancient cities amaze with their grandeur: our history was born and unfolded in them. And although most of the ancient cities have not survived to our time, there are a few that we can see today. Some of these cities are small, while others are huge. This list contains cities that have not only survived to this day, but continue to function. Each city is photographed at sunrise and sunset. In addition, in some photographs you can find the sights of these places.

10. Plovdiv
Founded: before 400 BC

Plovdiv is located in present-day Bulgaria. It was founded by the Thracians and was originally called Eumolpias. It was conquered by the Macedonians and eventually became part of present-day Bulgaria. It is the second largest and most important city in Bulgaria after the capital Sofia, which is about 150 kilometers away.

9. Jerusalem
Founded: 2000 BC




Jerusalem is one of the oldest cities in the world and is considered the holy city of Christianity, Islam and Judaism. It is the capital of Israel (although not all countries recognize this fact). In ancient times it was the famous city of David from the Bible, and then the place where Jesus spent his last week of life.

8. Xi'an
Founded: 1100 BC




One of the four great ancient capitals of China, Xi'an is now the capital of Shaanxi Province. The city is full of ancient ruins, monuments, and it still has an ancient wall built during the Ming Dynasty - pictured below. It also houses the tombs of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, who is best known for his terracotta army.

7. Cholula
Founded: 500 BC




Cholula is located in the Mexican state of Puebla, which was founded before the arrival of Columbus to the shores of America. Its most famous landmark is the Great Pyramid of Cholula, which now looks like a hill with a church on top. However, in reality, the hill is the base of the pyramid. The pyramid temple is the largest in the new world.

6. Varanasi
Founded: 1200 BC




Varanasi (also known as Benares) is located in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Jains and Hindus consider it a holy city and believe that if a person dies there, he will be saved. It is the oldest inhabited city in India and one of the oldest in the world. Along the Ganges River, you can find many holes - these are stops on the way of believers, in which they perform religious ablutions.

5. Lisbon
Founded: 1200 BC




Lisbon is the largest city and capital of Portugal. This is the oldest city in Western Europe- much older than London, Rome, and similar cities. Religious and funerary monuments have been preserved there since the Neolithic era, and archaeological evidence also indicates that it was once an important trading city for the Phoenicians. In 1755, the city suffered a devastating earthquake, which almost completely destroyed it due to fires and tsunamis - this earthquake was one of the deadliest in history.

4. Athens
Founded: 1400 BC




Athens is the capital of Greece and also the largest city. Its 3,400 year history is eventful, and due to Athenian dominance of the region as a vast city-state, much of the culture and customs of the ancient Athenians found their way into many other cultures. The many archaeological sites make Athens an ideal city to visit for those with an interest in European history and culture.

3. Damascus
Founded: 1700 BC




Damascus is the capital of Syria and more than 2.6 million people live here. Unfortunately, however, recent civil uprisings have caused considerable damage to one of the most significant and ancient cities in history. Damascus was included in the top 12 cultural heritage sites that are in danger of being destroyed or in danger of being irreparably damaged. Only time will tell if this ancient city can survive, or whether it will go down in history as one of the ancient lost cities in the world.

2. Rome
Founded: 753 BC




Initially, Rome was a collection of small urban-type settlements. However, it eventually became a city-state, ruling over one of the greatest empires in human history. The period of existence of the Roman Empire (which grew from the Roman Republic) was relatively short - it was founded in 27 BC. its first emperor, Augustus, and the last, Romulus Augustulus, was deposed in 476 (although the Eastern Roman Empire lasted another 977 years).

1. Istanbul
Founded: 660 BC




As noted above, the Eastern Roman Empire, with its capital in the city of Constantinople - now known as Istanbul, continued to exist until 1453. Constantinople was captured by the Turks, who founded the Ottoman Empire in its place. The Ottoman Empire lasted until 1923, when the Republic of Turkey was established and the Sultanate was abolished. To this day, both Roman and Ottoman artifacts can be seen in Istanbul, the most significant of which is probably the Hagia Sophia. Initially, it was a church, then it was converted into a mosque by the Islamic Ottomans, and with the formation of the republic it became a museum.

Despite the ongoing debate about the moment of the emergence of each ancient settlement, there is a more or less agreed upon list that includes the oldest cities in the world in which life continued uninterruptedly and are now inhabited.

One of the oldest

This list is headed by Jericho, which is mentioned more than once in the Bible under the name "city of palm trees", although the name is translated from Hebrew as "lunar city". Historians attribute the date of its emergence as a settlement to the 7th millennium BC, although some of the found traces of habitation date back to the 9th. That is, people lived here during the Chalcolithic or before the Ceramic Neolithic. It so happened that the location of Jericho has been on the warpath since time immemorial, again in the Bible there is a description of the capture of the city. He endlessly passed from hand to hand, the last time happened in 1993, when Jericho went to Palestine. Repeatedly over the millennia, the inhabitants left it, but always returned and rebuilt. Now located 10 km from the Dead Sea, Jericho is readily visited by tourists, as it is rich in sights (for example, there was a farmstead of King Herod). In addition, this most ancient city on earth is also unique in that it is, so to speak, the deepest settlement, as it is located 240 meters below sea level.

Which one is older

The second (sometimes contesting the championship) on the list of "The oldest cities in the world" is modern Syria. Its origin also dates back to prehistoric times, but it becomes a major city after the Aramaic invasion, dating back to 1400 BC. One of the most charming cities in the Middle East, it is full of attractions. What is only included in the list of the greatest temples of the world, in which the head of the City is so ancient that there is a belief that the first wall built on earth after the Flood was precisely the Damascus Wall. The old city, which has not changed its appearance for many centuries, is also surrounded by a wall, but it was erected at the time of Ancient Rome.

Also the most ancient

Concludes the first three settlements of the list "Ancient cities of the world" Lebanese Bybl. Needless to say, in some lists he is given the second, and even the first in seniority. These three cities arose long before the Copper Age, but since then they have been continuously inhabited. Byblos is located in the suburbs of Beirut. The very name of the city suggests that it was once a biblical city and was called Gebal. A Phoenician settlement, in ancient times it was the center of the papyrus trade, and now it is a well-known tourist attraction. It is interesting in that a small number of inscriptions found on ancient artifacts have not yet been deciphered, because this type of proto-biblical writing has no spaces. There are about 100 signs, but there are few inscriptions. The date of the emergence of the next city of Susa is disputed, as well as the largest city of modern Syria, Aleppo - someone believes that these cities already existed in the 7th millennium BC, someone did not.

Closing the list of "ancient"

The birth of subsequent cities date back to the 4th millennium BC. Not all of the most frequently cited lists under the name "Ancient cities of the world" mention the Crimean Feodosia, although in Russia it was considered the "eternal city", since it was founded, according to some sources, in the 6th century BC and was known as Ardabra .

Another ten of the most ancient includes such settlements as the Lebanese Sidon (4 thousand BC). The emergence of the Egyptian Faiyum (Greek Crocodilefield) and the Bulgarian Plovdiv dates back to the same time. Turkish Gaziantep and Lebanese capital Beirut are several centuries younger. Further on the list, the following cities are most often mentioned: Jerusalem, Tire, Erbil, Kirkuk, Jaffa. All of them arose many centuries before our chronology and belong to the "most ancient".

The oldest in Russia

The most common lists under the title "Ancient cities of the world" do not include Derbent, Zurich, or Ningbo, although they have at least 6,000 years of existence behind them. So, Derbent (from the Arabic Bab-al-Abwab - its name - is translated as "gate of the gate" or "big gate"), according to some sources, was already a settlement in the 4th millennium BC. This southern city Russian Federation already existed in Azerbaijan. Translated from the Azerbaijani language, its name sounds like “closed gates”. It is located in the isthmus between the Caucasus Range and the western shore of the Caspian Sea. This ancient settlement has always been a gateway for caravans traveling from Europe to Asia.

Also "oldest"

For most people, the concept of ancient Europe is associated primarily with Greece. However, Swiss Zurich is much older. The first settlements on its territory arose in 4430-4230 BC, that is, in the 5th millennium.

Closer to our chronology, it was conquered by the Celts, then the settlement became part of the Roman Empire, and at that time it was already mentioned under the name Turicum. The Chinese city of Ningbo, which is directly related to the Hemudu culture that existed in the 5th millennium BC, according to some statements, was already inhabited in the Neolithic era. Archeology does not stand still, and the list of the most ancient cities on the planet will include new names.

Closer to our reckoning

The list of "Ancient cities of the world" is much wider than the "Ancient", because many civilizations belong to the 2nd millennium BC. The location of the settlements that arose in these centuries goes beyond the Middle East. In Europe, these are primarily cities. In this territory, Athens tops the list of “Permanently inhabited cities of the ancient world”. Notes about this city-state also begin with the words that these places were inhabited in the Neolithic era. But Athens is described in detail, starting from the late Helladic period, that is, from 1700-1200 BC. The golden age for this powerful policy began in the middle of the 1st millennium, during the reign of Pericles. The legendary monuments, known to the whole world, were built during this period, which is quite well studied and described by the ancient Greek classics. Such historical evidence as the works of Bacchelides, Hyperides, Menander and Herodes written on papyri have survived to this day. The works of later, world-famous Greek authors formed the basis of the popular "Myths and Legends" by N. Kuhn. Ancient Greek philosophy, science, culture are the foundation of modern knowledge.

Extensive list

The names of the ancient cities of the world are a very extensive list, taking up more than one page, because the period of Antiquity ends in our chronology, has a specific date - 476 AD, indicating the fall of the Western Roman Empire. This period is well studied, and the existence of many cities is documented.

Therefore, from the whole huge list, we can name several settlements known to literally everyone. It will also include cities that have disappeared from the face of the earth, but remained in historical evidence or in the memory of their descendants. These include such great cities of the Ancient World as Babylon and Palmyra, Pompeii and Thebes, Chichen Itza and Ur, Pergamon and Cusco, ancient Greek Knossos and Mycenae, many cities of Asia and other continents. The mysteries of the ruins of these cities are yet to be solved. For example, the mysterious Angkor, lost in the jungle, is the stone heart of Cambodia, rediscovered for the world in the middle of the 19th century, although its history goes back to the second century AD. Or located on the top of a mountain, located at an altitude of 2450 meters above sea level, no less mysterious Machu Picchu. This ancient "city in the sky" is located in Peru.

The highlight of the city

The ancient city of Demre, in comparison with the above settlements, is simply young. The first mention of it dates back to the 5th century (not the millennium) BC. But Known in ancient times under the name of Mira, it is famous not only for its unusual architectural monuments, but first of all for the fact that Saint Nicholas studied, lived and became famous here, he is also Nicholas the Pleasant, the Wonderworker, he is also Saint Nicholas and Santa Claus. The most wonderful tradition of giving new Year gifts came from this city. The initiator was St. Nicholas, the first Bishop of Mira. The ancient city of Demre is a very popular tourist attraction.

The route "Demre-Mira-Kekova" is in great demand. The city has preserved a beautiful ancient Roman theater, the size of which allows one to judge the importance of this large seaside center in antiquity. Kekova is an island. It is notable for the fact that its shores are a continuation of the walls of the city sunk as a result of the earthquake. Very good modern city Demre, which is the center of the province of the same name in Turkey.

Very short list

Ancient cities of the world are mysterious and beautiful. The list of the most famous is as follows: Byblos, Jericho and Aleppo, followed by Susa, Damascus, El Faiyum and Plovdiv. It would be fair to indicate Derbent and Zurich, " the eternal City» Rome, as well as several settlements of ancient China (Ningbo, Changsha, Changzhou and others).

The disappeared Babylon, Palmyra, Pompeii, Ur and Mycenae complete this more than modest list of cities of antiquity. Ancient Persian Persipolis boasts unique sights. At one time it was the capital of the Achaemenid Empire, which founded in VI-V centuries BC, a huge state, later conquered by Alexander the Great. All ancient cities are surrounded by legends, which are very interesting to get acquainted with.

Absolutely every city has its own history of origin, some of them are quite young, others have a history of several centuries, but some of them are very ancient. The settlements that still exist today are sometimes terribly old. The age of the oldest cities helps to clarify historical research and archaeological excavations, on the basis of which the estimated dates of their formation are put. Perhaps in the presented rating is the oldest city in the world, or maybe we still do not know anything about it.

1. Jericho, Palestine (approx. 10,000-9,000 BC)

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The ancient city of Jericho is repeatedly mentioned in biblical texts, however, there it is called the “city of palm trees”, although its name is translated differently from Hebrew - “lunar city”. Historians believe that as a settlement it arose around 7,000 BC, but there are finds that indicate an older age - 9,000 BC. e. In other words, people settled here before the Ceramic Neolithic, during the Chalcolithic.
Since ancient times, the city has been at the crossroads of military paths, so the Bible also contains a description of its siege and miraculous capture. Jericho had to change hands many times, and his most recent transmission modern Palestine happened in 1993. For thousands of years, residents have left the city more than once, however, then they will certainly return and revive its life. This "eternal city" is located 10 kilometers from the Dead Sea, and tourists constantly come to its sights. Here, for example, was the court of King Herod the Great.

2. Damascus, Syria (10,000-8,000 BC)

Not far from Jericho there is another patriarch among the cities, little, or maybe not inferior to him in age - Damascus. The Arab medieval historian Ibn Asakir wrote that after the Flood, the Damascus wall was the first to appear. He believed that this city arose 4,000 years before our era. The first real historical data about Damascus date back to the 15th century BC. e., at that time the Egyptian pharaohs ruled here. From the 10th to the 8th centuries BC. e. it was the capital of the Damascus kingdom, after which it passed from one kingdom to another, until in 395 it became part of the Byzantine Empire. After the visit of the Apostle Paul to Damascus in the first century, the first followers of Christ appeared here. Now Damascus is the capital of Syria and the second largest city in this country after Aleppo.

3. Byblos, Lebanon (7000-5000 BC)

The ancient Phoenician city of Byblos (Gebal, Gubl) is located 32 km from Beirut on the Mediterranean coast. At this place and now there is a city, but it is called Jabel. In ancient times, Byblos was a major seaport, through it, in particular, papyrus was brought from Egypt to Greece, which the Hellenes called “byblos” because of this, which is why they called Gebal like that. It is authentically known that Gebal existed already 4000 years BC. e. It stood near the sea on a well-defended hill, and below there were two bays with harbors for ships at once. A fertile valley stretched around the city, and a little further from the sea, mountains covered with dense forests began.
A person noticed such an attractive place long ago and settled here in the early Neolithic times. But for some reason, by the time the Phoenicians arrived, the locals left their habitable places, so the newcomers did not even have to fight for them. As soon as they settled in a new place, the Phoenicians immediately surrounded the settlement with a wall. Later, in its center, near the source, they built two temples to the main deities: one - to the mistress Baalat-Gebal, and the second - to the god Reshef. Since then, the story of Gebal has become quite reliable.

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4. Susa, Iran (6000-4200 BC)

In modern Iran, in the province of Khuzestan, there is one of the most ancient cities on the planet - Susa. There is a version that its name comes from the Elamite word "susan" (or "shushun"), meaning "lily", since these places abounded with these flowers. The first signs of habitation here date back to the seventh millennium BC. e., and during the excavations, ceramics of the fifth millennium BC were discovered. e. The settled settlement here was formed approximately in the same terms.
Susa is mentioned in ancient Sumerian cuneiform writing, as well as in later texts of the Old Testament and other sacred books. Susa was the capital of the Elamite kingdom until it was captured by the Assyrians. In 668, after a fierce battle, the city was plundered and burned, and 10 years later, the Elamite state also disappeared. Ancient Susa had to undergo destruction and bloody battles many times, but they would certainly then be restored. Now the city is called Shush, it is inhabited by about 65 thousand Jews and Muslims.

5. Sidon, Lebanon (5,500 BC)

Now this city on the Mediterranean coast is called Saida and is the third largest in Lebanon. It was founded by the Phoenicians and made their capital. Sidon was a significant Mediterranean trading port, which has partially survived to this day, being perhaps the oldest such building. Throughout its history, Sidon has been part of different states many times, but has always been considered an impregnable city. Now it is inhabited by 200 thousand inhabitants.

6 Faiyum, Egypt (4000 BC)

In the El-Fayyum oasis in Middle Egypt, surrounded by the sands of the Libyan desert, is the ancient city of El-Fayyum. The Yusuf Canal was dug from the Nile to him. It was the most ancient city in the whole Egyptian kingdom. This area became known mainly due to the fact that the so-called "Fayum portraits" were once discovered here. In Fayum, which was then called Shedet, which means "sea", the pharaohs of the XII dynasty often stopped, as evidenced by the remains of temples and artifacts discovered here by Flinders Petrie.
Later, Shedet was called Crocodilopolis, the "City of Reptiles", because its inhabitants worshiped the god Sebek with a crocodile head. Modern El Fayoum has several mosques, baths, large bazaars and a lively daily market. Residential buildings here are lined up along the Yusuf Canal.

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7. Plovdiv, Bulgaria (4,000 BC)

Within the boundaries of modern Plovdiv, as early as the Neolithic era, the first settlements appeared around 6000 BC. e. it turns out that Plovdiv is one of the oldest cities in Europe. For 1200 years BC. e. there was a settlement of the Phoenicians - Eumolpia. In the IV century BC. e. the city was called Odrys, which is confirmed by bronze coins of that period. From the VI century, Slavic tribes began to control it, later it entered the Bulgarian kingdom and changed its name to Pyldin. Over the following centuries, the city repeatedly passed from the Bulgarians to the Byzantines and back, until in 1364 it was captured by the Ottomans. Now the city has many historical and architectural monuments, other cultural sites that attract many tourists to Plovdiv.

8. Antep, Turkey (3650 BC)

Gaziantep is the oldest Turkish city, and there are not many peers in the world. It is located near the Syrian border. Until 1921, the city bore the more ancient name Antep, and the Turks decided to add the prefix "gazi" to it, meaning "brave". In the early Middle Ages, participants passed through Antep crusades. When the Ottomans took possession of the city, they began to build inns and mosques here, turning it into shopping mall. Now, in addition to the Turks, Arabs and Kurds live in the city, and the total population is 850 thousand people. Many foreign tourists come to Gaziantep every year to look at the ruins of the ancient city, bridges, museums and numerous attractions.

9. Beirut, Lebanon (3,000 BC)

According to some sources, Beirut appeared 5,000 years ago, according to others - all 7,000 years ago. Over the centuries, it has not been able to avoid numerous destructions, but each time it has found the strength to rise from the ashes. Archaeological excavations are constantly ongoing in the capital of modern Lebanon, thanks to which many artifacts of the Phoenicians, Hellenes, Romans, Ottomans and other temporary owners of the city were discovered. The first mention of Beirut dates back to the 15th century BC. e. in the Phoenician records, where he is called Barut. But there was this settlement one and a half thousand years before that.
It appeared on a large rocky cape, approximately in the middle of the coastal strip belonging to modern Lebanon. Perhaps the name of the city comes from the ancient word "birot", which means "well". For many centuries it was inferior in importance to its more powerful neighbors - Sidon and Tire, but in the ancient period its influence increased. There was a well-known school of law, which even developed the main postulates of the Justinian code, that is, Roman law, which became the basis of the European legal system. Now the Lebanese capital is a well-known tourist center.

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10 Jerusalem, Israel (2,800 BC)

This city is perhaps the most famous in the world, because there are holy places of monotheism - Jews, Christians and Muslims. Therefore, it is called "the city of three religions" and "the city of the world" (less successfully). The very first settlement arose here in the period 4500-3500 BC. e. The earliest known written mention of him (approx. 2000 BC) is contained in the Egyptian "texts of curses". Canaanites 1700 B.C. e. built the first walls of the city on the east side. The role of Jerusalem in human history cannot be overestimated. It is literally overloaded with historical and religious buildings, here are the Holy Sepulcher and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. 23 times Jerusalem was besieged, and 52 more times it was attacked, twice it was destroyed and rebuilt, but so far life in it is in full swing unusually.

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