List Of Ancient Cities That Still Exist
The development of our planet (the Earth) began long before the birth of Christ. The main factor about this is known – man i.e. the labor of mankind. People have been building places, i.e. cities where they can live since the years before Christ. As strange as it may sound, despite numerous wars in those times, many of those cities exist to this day and are still densely populated. If you have ever wondered which is the oldest city in the world, here’s a list of the 13 oldest and continuously inhabited cities known to mankind.
13 Ancient Cities Still Around Today
Jericho (Palestine) – 9,000 BC
Jericho is a Neolithic settlement and the oldest continuously inhabited city. Archaeologists discovered the remains of 20 successive settlements in Jericho dating back more than 11,000 years. The settlement was surrounded by walls with towers, and inside the walls lived between 1,000 and 1,500 residents. The city is located near the west bank of the river Jordan, and today it has a population of 20,000 inhabitants.
Byblos (Lebanon) – 5,000 BC
Byblos was founded by Phoenicians who called it Gebal. The Greeks, who imported papyrus from there, called it the city of Byblos. The word “Bible” is derived from the name of the city. The main tourist attractions are the Phoenician temples, Byblos Castle and the Church of St. John the Baptist, which was built by the Crusaders in the 12th century.
Aleppo (Syria) – 4300 years before Christ
Aleppo or Halabja is the most populated city in Syrian with approximately 4.4 million residents, and is placed third on the list of oldest and continuously inhabited cities. By about 800 BC the city was under the control of Hattie before it fell into the hands of the Assyrians, Greeks, and Persians. Later, it was occupied by the Romans, Byzantines, and Arabs.
Damascus (Syria) – 4,300 BC
Although some argue that this is the oldest continuously inhabited city Damascus shares the third place on the list with Aleppo. In the Roman period, Damascus was an extremely important city, and was a sort of military base for those who fought against the Persians.
Susa (Iran) – 4,200 BC
Susa was the capital of the Elamite Empire before it was conquered by the Assyrians. The city is located in southwest Iran.
Faiyum (Egypt) – 4,000 BC
The city is located southwest of Cairo. Here the holy crocodile Petsuchos was worshiped. Modern Faijum is comprised of several major markets, mosques, baths, the pyramid Lehum , and Havar, an archaeological site located near the city.
Sidon (Lebanon) – 4,000 BC
Sidon is situated about 25 miles south of Beirut. Greek historian Strabo said that this city is one of the oldest Phoenician cities. Both Jesus and Paul visited Sidon. Alexander the Great conquered the city in 333 BC.
Plovdiv (Bulgaria) – 4,000 Years Before Our Era
Plovdiv is the second largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia, with more than 300,000 inhabitants. It is extremely important cultural, educational and transportation center in this part of Bulgaria and has many ancient remains, including a Roman amphitheater and Ottoman baths.
Gaziantep (Turkey) – 3,650 BC
Gaziantep is located in southern Turkey, near the Syrian border. The history of the city goes back to the period of the Hattie. In the central part of the city stands the fortress and citadel Gazientep Ravanda as a reminder of the past. It was conquered by the Byzantines in the 6th century.
Beirut (Lebanon) – 3,000 BC
Beirut is the capital of Lebanon, and its cultural, administrative, and economic center. It is located on the Mediterranean coast. History of Beirut dates 5,000 years back. Excavations in the city yielded discoveries of Phoenician, Hellenic, Roman, Arab and Ottoman archaeological findings. After the Lebanese Civil War, the city has become a vibrant, modern and popular tourist center.
Jerusalem (Israel) – 2,800 BC
Jerusalem is a city in the Middle East, located on the territory of Israel and Palestine. The name of this city means “Owning a double peace” and it is the spiritual center of the Jewish people and Islam. It is the third holiest city. Through the course of history the city was besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times, conquered 44 times and destroyed twice.
Tyre (Lebanon) – 2,750 BC
According to the Greek historian Herodotus, Tyre was founded around 2750 BC. Today, the city’s largest industry is tourism. Alexander the Great conquered the city in 332 BC.
Erbil (Iraq) – 2,300 BC
Erbil was once the main place where you had to stop when walking along the Silk Road. It is the fourth largest city in Iraq. It has a fortress that rises 26 feet from the ground and dominates the horizon even today.
